Broken Halo
by Wendy McCalister
Summary: Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **A/N:** As told in the summary, this is a sequel to the multiple-chapter story, Devil's Sweet Temptation. I don't mind if you keep on reading this even though you haven't read that one, but for you to understand this better, I suggest you to read the prequel. With that said… there's really nothing else for me to say. LOL. So… on to the story!

 **Chapter 1**

Botan yelped as a pile of soaking wet clothes were dropped on top of her head.

"Ugly whore! Get the hell out of here!"

"Yeah, your presence here is unneeded!"

The girl spun around, a facial of utter fury contorted on her lovely features. She came face to face with a couple of cat demons, one with long pink hair and the other with a bob-style ebony mane. Both harbored a deep hatred towards her in their eyes, but Botan was not unnerved.

"What do you think you're doing?" she growled, grabbing a blue fabric of clothing from her head and throwing to the dirty ground.

The one with pink hair gave her a taunting smirk. "Oh? What's the matter? It was a joke, obviously." She placed a hand over her lips, a laugh that Botan could perceive as overly obnoxious leaving her throat. "With clothes as dirty as those which you are wearing, you could never be suitable for our great Youko-sama."

Botan opened her mouth, going to make a smart remark, only to be cut short as a male voice suddenly sounded from behind her, disrupting their "conversation". She turned, watching as a familiar, tall man with orange hair and blood irises walked his way towards them.

"What's this?" His dog ears twitched, as he bent on his knees to grab one yukata out of the pile of clothes on the ground, dampening the brown surface. He studied the slight mud marring the silky fabric, before shifting his gaze to the female demons, the heated glare in his eyes causing them to bow their heads in shame. "If I am not mistaken, you two were busy trying to humiliate our mistress here, weren't you? Shouldn't you be doing your petty jobs instead of focusing on your pointless jealousy?" he mocked, throwing the dirtied yukata at the snobby pink haired demon, who quickly caught it in her grasp. He glared at the two, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, get the hell out of here, before I lose my temper."

The two cat demons bent down and bowed to him in respect. They hurriedly picked up the clothes they themselves had tossed at the blue haired girl, before turning and scurrying away like mice.

The male demon's fierce expression softened as he whirled to look at his blue haired mistress. "I apologize for their lack of manners, Botan-sama. I promise that they _will_ be taught their lesson for doing such a shameless thing to you."

Botan's mouth curled into an appreciative smile at his words. "Thanks, but no thanks, Rei. I'm quite used to this kind of thing, after all."

It had been a week since her arrival at Youko's domain. And although she had put up quite a fight on day one, Botan had learned to be more adapting of her surroundings, even coming to accept that this was now her new home. Youko had requested that his subordinates treated her as his equal, but Botan sometimes insisted on doing a few house chores here and there as she was never the kind to sit around and accept others' handouts, and before she knew it, seven days had already gone by. Although the envious female servants in Youko's territory were certainly pesky and harsh, Botan had learned not to take their offensive words too personally. She did wish they would leave her alone sometimes, though. It seemed that every time Youko was gone, they would grab the opportunity to humiliate and degrade her. Not to say she never fought back, of course. That was why she had a few brand new scratches around her arms and her back, although her wounds were never that serious. Perhaps it was because of Youko's loyal subjects – take Rei, for instance – who always came to her rescue when the fox was not around.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone laced with concern as he handed her a white towel. She blinked, wondering where he got it, but accepted the generous offer, anyway. She thanked him as she placed the towel on her head, rubbing it on her hair in an attempt to dry it off.

"I'm fine, Rei," she answered after a while, a laugh erupting from her throat, "It's not like this is the first time."

"I am aware of that," Rei said, nodding his head in remembrance of the times he caught her bickering with the female subordinates in the palace, "But, I still wish I can say something about this to Youko-sama. It's better if he…"

"No!" came Botan's frantic cry, startling the dog demon who hadn't expected the loud cry. She seemed to calm down a little as he regarded her with confused, knitted together eyebrows. "If you do that, he will kill them. Literally."

His shock dying down, Rei couldn't help but scoff, "They deserve it."

"Why can't you demons get it?" she sighed in exasperation. "No one deserves to die, no one deserves having their lives taken away from them," she murmured, her voice softer this time.

Rei gave her a small smile. "Forgive me for my mindless words, but we demons were raised like this. It is easier for our kind to kill off anyone who proves to be of no use or disturbance," he stated in a matter of factly way, "And our master has ordered us to treat you as our mistress, meaning that we are constantly and permanently at your service. When he told us he plans to marry you, that will seal our fate as not only his, but also your, loyal subjects. We will forever be inclined to protect you from any danger that might befall you. When those girls threw that pile of clothes on you, if Youko-sama had seen it, not only him, but also I, would have felt the need to set them right," he told her, Botan flushing bright red at the mention of Youko's intentions in regards to marriage.

"Set them right meaning you have to murder them," she mumbled under her breath, the crimson shade coloring her cheeks now reduced to a faint pink. "You guys really need to fix that line of thinking. I really appreciate your protection, though. It keeps me safe when Youko's not around. Although, I tend to hate being babied around, so you should try to let me settle things on my own for once," she advised him in a stern tone that left no room for disagreement.

"I will keep that in mind," Rei said with a broadened smile, but Botan had an inkling suspicion that what he had in mind was the exact opposite of his words. After all, although they did serve her, they obeyed Youko first and foremost. And besides, the only reason she was even receiving this wealthy treatment was because the fox had ordered them to give it to her. She had no doubt that if Youko told them to kill her, they would do it without a moment of hesitation. They held no loyalty or trust towards her – only for Youko.

"Where is Youko, by the way?" Botan inquired in an attempt to distract herself from her own skeptical musings. "I haven't seen him today."

"He is currently in a meeting with Yomi-sama," Rei answered dutifully, "No one knows when it will end. It has already been ongoing for eight hours. However, I suspect they will finish their important discussion precisely when the sun sets. Until then, I must request for you to be patient."

"The king from the neighboring country?" Botan asked in regards of Yomi's name, earning a confirming in return. "Oh, well, alright then." Briefly, she wondered what kind of discussions Youko had over this sort of meetings; it had already been eight hours, and they still hadn't finished talking? It must be a relevant matter if—wait, wait a second…

She turned to regard the dog demon, Rei, with a baffled stare. "What do you mean by having to be patient?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "You are wishing to be by Youko-sama's side, are you not? If you are, then I must request for your patience—"

"O-of course _not_!" Botan cried, blushing hotly, as she threw the towel straight at the demon's face.

* * *

"Huh?"

Youko looked up from the plant he was nourishing to peer at the owner of the voice. His bat demon companion, Kuronue, entered his room with a basket of apples in one hand.

"I thought you were having a meeting?" he asked the fox, taking a seat on a chair leaned against the wall.

Youko nodded, and then shrugged his shoulder. "Yeah, I was. But, it ended five minutes ago."

"Is that so?" Kuronue settled the basket of apples on the ground beside his feet. "Well, if that's the case, then you should have told Botan-chan about it."

Gold eyes blinked, before turning wide and hopeful. "Why? Is she worried about me or something?"

"Huh?" Kuronue mimicked his actions, blinking at him. "Don't know, but I guess I am a bit worried about her wandering in this place by herself."

Youko's eyes returned to their original size, as his bubble of hope popped at the bat demon's words. _And here I thought she was worried about me_ , he sighed to himself.

"Aren't you worried that something bad might happen to her?" Kuronue inquired him, bending down to take one ripe, bright red apple. He brought it to his lips, taking a bite of the juicy fruit. "I mean, I thought you were thinking of making her your wife?"

"Nothing's going to happen to her. She has my subordinates watching her every move," Youko reassured him with a scoffing sound, "And, yes, I am planning to make her my wife. It's just a matter of time of waiting for her to say yes."

"You mean, she hasn't agreed to it yet?"

The fox grimaced slightly. "No, not really. She told me she would think about it, but sometimes that means that there's a high possibility the results would be negative," he murmured.

"Anyway, Youko," Kuronue started, as he spat a seed of the apple out of an opened window near the chair he was seated on, "I've been meaning to ask you this… but… well, do you love her?"

Youko furrowed his brows. "Why do you want to know?"

Kuronue gave out a light shrug of his shoulder. "I mean, I figured that you do, since you _did_ go as far as erasing Reikai's residents' memories of her so you could bring her here. You even asked the servants and your advisors to treat her like the mistress, and now, you're planning to wed her." He paused for a moment to study the fox spirit's face. "Anyone would get the idea that you care about her… It's just… well, weird, since your species don't really hold attachment to anything… or anyone, for that matter."

There was silence, before Youko finally responded, "I do care about her. It's quite odd, but I find myself harboring feelings for her before I even knew it. I guess… she's just special."

"Well, since she's so innocent and pure, do you think that one day she could reform you or something?"

A light smirk tugged at Youko's lips, as if he was amused by something. "There's no way that would happen. After all, fox spirits such as myself have been cunning and murderous for generations." His smirk wavered, as his mouth formed a thin line. "She could never tame the beast inside me. I would admit, her light has a soothing effect against the darkness in my heart… but such darkness could never be contained that easily."

"But, you love her, anyway," Kuronue pointed out with a finger pointed accusingly at the fox, earning a chuckle in return.

"I do, don't I?" Youko turned his gaze to the blue sky decorated with white puffy clouds, the shade serving as a reminder of his beloved's blue hair. "But, I still don't know how to express them, you know? My feelings towards her. To tell her that I love her would be like admitting that I'm no longer the cruel monster that I am… Not to say that I don't want to tell her how I feel, of course… Well, I'm just saying that theoretically speaking, that's just how hard it would be to utter those three words."

Kuronue seemed to consider this for a moment. "I would agree, I guess. I mean, it's hard for me to imagine you acting like a prince charming and giving her a bouquet of flowers and saying, 'Botan-chan, I love you!', after all," he said, pulling a pathetic attempt of mimicking a love confession.

"Exactly." Youko chuckled darkly. "Demons like us don't do stuff like that. It's just not our kind of thing."

"That's true," Kuronue agreed, before shrugging his right shoulder, "But, if I were you, I would start learning to be more… romantic."

A deep frown was now etched on Youko's forehead. "What the hell do you mean? Why do I have to—Like I told you…"

"I know, I know," Kuronue stood up from the chair, throwing his arms up in the air, "Demons don't do romance, I know." His features turned serious as he looked straight into Youko's irises. "However, if you really don't want her to try and escape, all I'm saying is that you might want to learn expressing yourself a little. Try and act sweet or whatever. Girls like that sort of thing." He paused, and when Youko's frown deepened, he went on, "You do want her to reciprocate your feelings, don't you?"

Youko's eyes broadened and as the words sunk in, he realized Kuronue had a point. If he really wanted to make her love him, he would have to do something romantic… even if it wasn't like himself to act _romantic_ , of all things. He was a demon after all, and much more, he was a fox; if he wanted something, he would take it. There was no courtship, no anything. Merely sex, and pure lust. But, _he_ was a demon in love. Demons never felled in love. Ever. And yet, he had broken that rule. _Why not break more?_

"You're right," Youko agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly.

"Do you want me to help?" Kuronue asked, his playfulness now back as it replaced the stern expression on his countenance a while ago. Youko grunted, before shaking his head.

"No." He smirked. "It wouldn't be all that difficult."

Kuronue's face soon matched the fox's as a smirk curled at the corners of his lips. "I suppose that's true." The quirk on his mouth broadened as another thought occurred in his head. "Putting that aside though, Youko… you might want to be more careful."

Youko's smirk felled, as his features took on a more bewildered expression. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It seems to me like some of our subordinates… have taken quite the liking to Botan-chan," Kuronue chuckled, "You should keep your guard up, Youko. With all those meetings you've been having lately, you haven't been spending any time with her. And who knows? Someone else might just steal her… right… under… your… nose…" he warned and teased at the same time, pausing at the last four words to emphasize his point.

The glimmer in Youko's smoldering gold quickly dissipated as his vibrant orbs darkened into a murky yellow. His features were fierce and wrathful for a moment, before the glint in his eyes returned, a self-assured smirk reaching to find its way to his lips.

"That won't be a problem," he growled, "All I have to do is get rid of anyone who tries to get in the way between Botan and I. I don't care if everything breaks, but if her eyes reflect anything—anything but me…"

 _I would kill them._

 _Every last one of them._

 _Because in the eyes of she whom I hold so dear…_

 _…_ _only my figure should be reflected._


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 2**

"Look," Botan started, as she heaved a heavy sigh, "What's your big deal, anyway?"

The trio of female demons before her glared at her with so much intensity she would have cowered, if only she wasn't used to getting that sort of look from Youko. She stood there, features blank, but amethyst irises demanding a response.

"It's your fault Youko-sama's lost interest in every last one of us!" one rat demon with short, curvy blue hair and sapphire eyes screamed at her, her shrill voice cutting through the interminable tense, uncomfortable silence like knife through butter. "Even though you're just a ferry girl…" she went on, a growl leaving her lips.

 _Why am I not surprised by that answer?_ Botan mused to herself, before shrugging the thought off with slight disinterest. Shutting her eyelids, Botan crossed her arms over her chest as she uttered, "Why are the girls at this place so hung up with him, anyway? There's nothing special about him. There are so many nicer guys out there, stop chasing after someone who doesn't care." And with that said, she held tighter to the tray of two cups of tea, making to stalk off. She had to get this right to Hiei and Kuronue, before the former became unpleased with her 'lack of competence' as Youko's intended wife. _I don't get why I'm supposed to do this, though? I mean, if I were to be Youko's wife, shouldn't I be in charge? And yet, that damn Hiei…_ she trailed off in her thoughts as the blue haired demon from before ran past her and stood before her, blocking her path. Knitting her brows together, Botan didn't have the chance to react when the other two, both with green hair, grabbed by her arms, tugging her back and holding her still. Startled, the ferry girl accidentally lost grip on the tray, causing the cups of tea to fall to the ground, the hot water splashing on her feet and the glass breaking, with some of the shards entering her skin.

Botan flinched, letting out a wince at the hot, burning pain of the warm tea combined with the sharp glass cutting through her flesh. Despite her discomfort however, the ferry girl refused to back down so easily. Jerking her head to the smirking rat demon in front of her, Botan shot daggers her way, her teeth gritted and her fists clenched at her sides.

"What do you think you're doing?" she roared in fury, whilst trying to break free of the other two demons' hold around her.

"Teaching you a lesson, that's what," the rat demon answered with a menacing grin, her sapphire eyes flashing as she lifted her left hand, her claws sharpening into razors as she neared closer to the squirming ferry girl. "You've got a lot of nerve trying to lecture us when you're just nothing but a puny ferry girl who can't do anything right."

"Well, compared to you, I'd say she's much better, isn't she?" a cold voice remarked from behind, causing the blue haired demon to halt in her tracks, the terror evident on her countenance. The two demons that held Botan back quickly released their vice-like grip on her, stepping back just as their leader spun on her heels to look at whoever it was that spoke.

Their faces drained off any color as they met eye contact with a pair of glowering crimson. "H-Hiei-sama!" they all cried in unison, staggering back with quivering knees in an attempt to distance themselves from the fire demon and his raging ire.

Hiei scoffed, rolling his eyes at the sight, before strolling calmly towards the ferry girl, curled like a ball on the cold floor of the hallway. He studied her holding her injured feet, expelling a sigh as he caught sight of the blood dripping from between her toes. He ignored the whimpering pleas of the three female demons for him to not inform of this to Youko, as he bent down on his knees until he was eye-leveled with Botan. Grabbing her hand in his, the fire demon tugged it out of the way so he could fully and carefully examine her wounds.

"Come on," he abruptly said, before wrapping his arm around her waist and hooking hers on his shoulders, gently pulling her up from the dirt. "We're going to get you some medication."

* * *

"Thank you, Hiei," Botan muttered in a soft but appreciative tone as she trailed her fingers to her now bandaged feet. She sat on a stool, Hiei leaning languidly against the wall. The fire demon let out a scoffing sound.

"Whatever," he said in his usual grumpy voice, "I only did what Youko would have wanted me to do. God knows he'd go berserk if he ever finds out something bad happened to you."

A smile lifted up her lips at his words. "Thank you, anyway."

"Hn," Hiei sounded off as he gave out a light shrug of his right shoulder. For a moment, the two merely stared at each other, neither knowing what to say after the interaction. Although, the fire demon was quick to break off the silence, "You're quite infamous in this place, aren't you now?"

The quirk of Botan's mouth faltered a little at the statement, reducing into a thin angry line as she grumbled, "Yeah, well, I wouldn't be dealing with all this if I wasn't."

"Do you regret coming here?" he found himself asking before he could stop himself, his crimson irises studying the girl with curiosity and wonder. He earned a shrug in return.

"I mean," she started as she casted her gaze to her feet, momentarily wondering when the injuries would heal, "I didn't have much of a choice when I chose to stay at this place. And I still don't have much of a choice, you know. I don't have anywhere else to go."

Hiei quirked an eyebrow at her in interest as he silently took note of the difference in the attitude of the ferry girl. Unlike her past self, where she would seem awfully sad and lonely, as if the burden of the entire world was placed on top of her lithe shoulders, she looked… well, matured. There was no hint of dejection in her bright, glimmering amethyst orbs, as if she had long since resigned to her fate.

"Well," Hiei cleared his throat for a second, "Since you're already here anyway, it's not like you can do anything," he added in a soft but firm voice, before pushing himself off the wall. Botan flicked her head up, gaping at him questioningly as he headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

The fire demon paused as he placed a fist on the doorknob and whirled his head around to peer at the girl. "To see Youko," came his simple, blunt response, causing Botan to sit up from the stool.

A loud, startled cry of pain rumbled in her chest and reverberated in the air as a spasm of pain shot through her legs, making her flop down once again on the stool. Her pretty face was contorted in a frustrated expression, mingled with a look of anxiety as she regarded Hiei with her pleading voice, "Please, Hiei, don't tell him anything. If he finds out…"

"If he finds out, what?" he cut her short, silencing her with his sharp reply, although he was already aware of what the fox demon would do, and was capable of doing if news about what happened to his precious ferry girl were to reach his ears. "I get that you're afraid. Hell, even I don't want to see what will happen if he figures out about this. He might even have my head cut off just for telling him so late. But, he's going to find out sooner or later, Botan, whether you like it or not." His eyes softened as the girl's features crestfallen. "Besides, it's better if he finds out from me than being informed by another source."

When Botan was unresponsive, shoulders slouching, Hiei knew that she was aware of the truth behind his words.

* * *

Youko was _furious_.

No, furious didn't even begin to cover it. He was _pissed_.

Not one of his subordinates dared to greet him as he marched forward towards his room with angry determination not to stop until he saw his ferry girl. His features fierce, gold irises menacing and claws flexing at his sides, Youko walked right past his scurrying female servants, barely aware of the fear and worry reflected in their eyes.

The lord looked extremely ready to butcher someone and _they_ would surely be the ones to suffer under his burning wrath.

Youko stilled his movements just as he reached a large, shining gold door. Reaching one clawed hand for the knob, the fox turned it and pushed the material open, ignoring the screeching sound that followed his actions as he entered the room. His gaze landed square on the sitting ferry girl, Botan jerking in surprise at his sudden appearance.

"Youko…" she started, only to trail off as he sauntered up to her, each step calmer but deadlier than the last. She watched mutely as he bent down, his hand gently caressing one of her wounded feet.

"Who did this?" His cold voice inquired at her, and for a moment, she felt his fingers tighten their grip on her foot, before swiftly softening, as if he was afraid he might be hurting her. "Who did this?" he repeated the question a second time when she was silent. Botan bit at her lower lip, teeth grinding on the plump skin as she nervously studied Youko's gold irises, now reduced to a bright yellow gleam as the anger was evident on his face, turning his pale complexion slight scarlet with fury.

"T-the servants," she finally responded after a hesitant pause, her lips trembling as she averted her gaze from Youko's unwavering one. "T-they were… they were jealous that I…"

"That you've managed to capture my attention when they didn't?" Youko finished for her, a feral growl erupting from his throat. "I'll kill them," he said in a low voice, before abruptly getting to his feet, his form shaking and claws sharpening, "I'll kill them with my bare hands!" he roared, turning to make to find whoever dared inflict harm on his lover.

Fear shot through her heart as she eyed him heading for the door. She quickly took a hold of his hand, ignoring the way his claws accidentally scratch against the skin of her palm as she practically begged, "No, don't! I don't want you to kill anyone else because of me!"

Youko spun around to scrutinize her, his eyes softening as he caught sight of her quivering figure, the tears welling in her pools of amethyst. However, his ire crept up his skin yet again as he recalled what they were discussing about. "But, they _hurt_ you," he growled, low and dangerous, causing the girl to look up at him, "They hurt you. I can't just sit around and do nothing."

"You didn't even find out before Hiei told you," she blurted out before she could stop herself. Once she realized what she just uttered, Botan swiftly slapped a hand to her mouth, her eyes broad with terror as Youko's features hardened.

It was true. He didn't even figure it out before Hiei informed him of what happened. How could he have not known? He had been too busy with all the meetings, too preoccupied with the war that might break loose that he had forgotten to check up on her. He should have known his petty, envious pathetic servants would do something like this. For a moment, he regretted bringing her here, but he immediately squashed that thought.

"I'm sorry," Youko murmured, his voice soft and sincere as his eyes softened once again. He lightly squeezed her hand, before bending on his knees again, this time to lay his head on her lap, not seeing the faint blush that grazed her cheeks at the simple gesture. "For how long?" he asked, sounding firmer.

Botan blinked, stopping her ministrations of running her fingers through his silky tresses to eye him with a baffled stare. "Come again?"

Youko's head snapped up at her question, the exasperation practically rolling off of him. His tail swished violently from side to side in annoyance, and briefly, Botan commented to herself that it seemed cute, only to cut her thoughts short when his strong arms grabbed the back of her knees, hoisting her up in the air. For a second there, she feared that he might do something fearsome like throwing her into the wall, but he settled her gently on the bed, before crawling until he was on top of her, nudging his legs between hers.

Botan blushed hotly as she thought to herself that whenever they were in this position, there was no way it would end with nothing sexual.

But, Youko just gazed at her; he didn't do anything, didn't even try to kiss her or strip her. He merely… stared. It was unnerving her.

"W-what?" she whispered as instantly as she was unable to take more of his silent, intense gaping. She looked away, only to have Youko cup her chin with a finger and force her head back, her orbs locking with his as he repeated,

"For how long?" and he narrowed his eyes. "How long have they been harassing you?"

Finally understanding what he meant with his previous query, Botan parted her mouth. "O-oh." She relaxed a little as she felt Youko lean in, his hot mouth trailing teasingly from her jawline to her ear. "I-I don't know. Since I got here…?" came her uncertain response, and the fear came back to overwhelm her senses as the fox pulled apart to study her with a half incredulous and half irritated stare. Although, for a brief moment, she could have sworn she caught a hint of concern in his golden irises, before it quickly dissipated into thin air.

"And you haven't told me because?" he prodded, his voice demanding, leaving her no means of giving him a mute reply. She licked her lips nervously, unaware of the effect the action had on him.

"I-I didn't want you to do anything… reckless," she hesitantly answered, watching in anxiety as Youko's eyes narrowed at her once again.

"What about my subordinates? The ones I ordered to protect you," She heard him inhale a sharp intake of breath, as if to calm himself, "Did they know?"

Reluctantly, she nodded her head. "D-don't be angry at them, please," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper as it was let out in the air, "I told them not to tell you. I-I mean, I didn't want you to resort to murder if you…"

"Well, you're right," Youko sharply cut short her sentence, "I would have resorted to murder."

Her eyes broadened in shock. "See? This is exactly what I'm talking about—"

"But, that didn't mean you had to hide it from me," he cut her off again, and this time, his voice was gentler, "Didn't you think of what might happen if I found out from someone else? If I knew that you'd been keeping this a secret from me? Like, right now? What's happening right now?" he stated in a composed tone, as if he was merely talking of the weather. Although, she could detect an underlying annoyance lying dormant in his usually smooth voice.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just…" she trailed off, knowing that he already understood even without her needing to explain.

He sighed heavily. "But, I should at least make them pay for what they've done. They deserve to die for what they did," he said, a growl rumbling in his chest at the last sentence.

Botan shook her head in slight disapproval. "No one deserves to die," she murmured, "no matter how terrible they are."

She felt his hand reach up to touch her cheek, his fingers lightly caressing her skin, and she let out a sigh. "Then, what do you want me to do?" he inquired in a soft but firm whisper.

"Punish them," her answer came almost immediate, "Make them do extra chores or something."

"Extra chores is a light punishment for them," he scoffed, "But, I'll think of something."

"Promise me it wouldn't be too extreme?" she practically begged, staring at him with pleading irises, "My injuries are not too serious. And the others would learn to hate me more if something bad happened to one of them…" she stopped to shiver as his hand trailed from her cheek, weaving into her hair and massaging her scalp.

He seemed hesitant, but Botan knew he was considering her request. For a moment, she assumed he wouldn't agree, but then, a smile slowly curled at the corners of his lips, rendering her speechless.

"Alright, I promise," He nodded, and she heaved a sigh of relief, "With one condition."

He felt her tense a little at the sudden addition at the end of his sentence. Her eyes grew wide, and her mouth opened and closed a few times, before she asked, "What is it?"

"Don't hide anything from me anymore," he said in a hushed whisper, and before she could react, leaned down and claimed her lips with his.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 3**

Botan dreamt of a yellow meadow. A yellow meadow filled with red, thorny roses, pink, fluttering peonies and pure, white lilies. The wind was blowing, her hair flying along with the bone chilling breeze. She sat under a beautiful, blooming plum blossoms tree, and someone else sat beside her. Long, silky silver locks, a pair of glinting lustrous gold, and body covered with white clothing. He held out a hand and…

Her eyes suddenly shot open at the ticklish sensations of fingers running through her hair, causing her to awaken from her sleep. For a moment, she'd forgotten about the sensations, merely staring at the boring, empty wall as she tried to remember what that dream was about. But, try as she might, the more she chased after the details of the dream, the further and further it ran from her… until there was finally nothing.

The ferry girl snapped out of her thoughts when a pair of lips attached themselves to her shoulder, forming a track as they traveled from her bare shoulder to her back. She shivered, vividly aware of who it was and his and her own nakedness under the covers of their shared room.

"Youko?" she croaked out, momentarily noting the way her voice sounded strained; almost as if she hadn't been drinking water for months. Then, all of a sudden, she realized she was thirsty.

"Here," Youko said without responding to her call of his name, his hand reaching for the desk seated at his side. He retrieved something, and she turned on the bed to fully face him, watching as he gave her a glass of water. "I thought you might say that, so I went ahead and got it for you," he murmured, eyeing her as she took the glass out of his grasp.

"Thanks," she mumbled, propping herself up her elbows in an attempt to sit up from the bed. She leaned her back against the headboard as she brought the glass to her lips, tilting it a little as she sipped the contents.

"You've been doing that a lot lately," he told her abruptly, causing her to look up at him in wonder.

"What do you mean?" she inquired softly, as she placed the glass of water on her lap, studying him as he ran a hand through his silver mane, his gaze glued on the window instead of her.

"You've been waking up feeling thirsty these days," he elaborated further, taking the now half empty glass from her hands. She didn't object, as her thirst was now satisfied. "Rei's been getting you water every morning."

Her eyes grew wide in surprise. "H-how did you know?" she asked, curious.

He shrugged one shoulder lightly, before setting the glass back on its original spot on the desk. "He came in a while ago, asking if you wanted some breakfast while he goes get your water. When I asked him what was going on, he told me all about your new routine. You could have told me, though. I don't like the idea of someone else entering our chamber without my permission."

"You realize you said _our_ chamber, right?" Botan muttered under her breath in a low voice. "Doesn't that mean he can come in if _I_ grant him _my_ permission?" she stated more than questioned, sounding louder this time.

He regarded her with an unreadable stare. "Your permission doesn't count," came his blunt response, which caused the girl to gawk at him in shock. She made to sound off a smart remark, only to cut herself short as she felt Youko's hand take hold of hers, squeezing possessively, before bringing it to his lips. She felt him kiss her fingers one by one, and watched his eyes grew stern and fierce. "I don't want him coming in, anymore. I can't stand the idea of another guy tending to your wishes," he said, his voice soft, but she knew he was dead serious, which left her no room to disagree.

A sigh escaped her lips, and although she said nothing to object, she murmured, "You're the one who told your subordinates to treat me like their mistress in the first place."

The corners of the fox's lips curled into a bitter grin. "Yes, I did," he uttered, before releasing her hand, watching as the appendage felled limply to her side. "However, I suppose I am still unable to share."

For some reason, she couldn't help but turn red in the face at his words, but more at the jealousy laced in his voice. "It's not like I belong to anyone else, anyway," she mumbled, her voice almost inaudible, but she knew he heard her.

And then, his cheerfulness came back, his features brightening up in a way the ferry girl never thought was possible for a deadly demon like him. For a moment, he reminded her of a child who had just gotten a stuffed toy from his mother as a birthday present. "So, you admit you're mine?" he asked, although it sounded more like a statement to her.

The rosy shade coloring her cheeks turned ten shades darker, but no words were uttered out of her lips in response. Of course, she admitted it, even though she _hated_ to admit it. It was because she was aware of the reality behind her situation, and that she could never escape his grasp. Besides, who else did she belong to other than Youko himself? After all, she had no home, no friends, and no employer. Those things had lost since been lost to her. And now that she was here, in Youko's domain, there was nothing – and no one – else she had other than Youko.

"What have you been discussing about in your meetings?" she inquired him in an attempt to divert the topic to another direction. Youko didn't seem pleased at the sudden change of subject, but he knew he had to acknowledge her.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, instead of justifying her question with a reply.

"No reason," she answered, as a small smile found its way to her lips. "Just curious, is all."

He turned to look at her with a quirked eyebrow. "Curious?" he echoed.

She nodded her head. "Yeah," and her smile widened slightly. "You seem quite busy these days. I'm just wondering what it's about."

And then, all of a sudden, the two were engulfed in an interminable silence. Botan's smile wavered as Youko's swishing tail stilled behind him, his gold irises studying her with a weird, almost uncomfortable gaze. His abrupt change of behavior unnerved her, although she tried not to let it show, despite wanting desperately for him to say something.

After what felt like forever, Youko finally opened his mouth, and his smooth voice eventually reverberated in the air and into her ears, "Do you really want to know?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "It's not really a light subject."

Though Botan was caught off guard by his words, and in spite her sudden hesitation, she nodded her head. "I do," she said in a hushed whisper, and then, louder, she repeated, "I do."

There was a long pause, before Youko finally nodded in affirmation. "Alright, if that's what you want." He leaned against the headboard as he averted his gaze to the window, eyeing the couple of birds that sang and chattered with one another on a branch of a tree he had planted long before Botan came here. "A war might break loose."

He could have sworn he could feel the shock and terror practically radiating off of her. "What?" she nearly shrieked and he rotated his head to the left to peer at her.

"Kuronue's been screwing around with one of the princesses from the neighbouring countries. Her husband found out and in a fit of seething rage, demanded for war." Youko gave out a light shrug of his right shoulder. "That's why we've been having all those meetings. They were to discuss what we should do, whether to accept the challenge or not."

Botan relaxed a little, but he could see that her shoulders were still tense. "A-and," She briefly sounded an audible gulp, "Are you going to… accept?" she asked after a moment of a hesitant pause.

His features softened. "I wish I don't have to, but I know that if we ignore the challenge, the situation will only grow worse," He sighed, "I didn't want to tell you anything. I didn't want you to worry."

"O-oh," she sounded in slight surprise. Well, that was startling. He was actually considerate of her. She tried to ignore the faint pink tinge she developed around her cheeks as she went on, "A-are we going to be okay?" She gulped once more. "Are we going to die?" Her voice was soft, concern and fear evident in the tone she used.

He shook his head, will and determination reflected in his orbs as he wrapped an arm around her, bringing the silent girl closer to his form until she was sitting on his lap. Burying his head in her hair, he nuzzled the blue locks, inhaling the sweet vanilla scent of her that never failed to soothe his nerves.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered comfortingly into her ear, "I will never let anyone lay a finger of you."

Botan felt a shiver travel down her spine at the feel of his hot breath fanning over her sensitive skin. Although, a real, gentle smile lifted up her lips; a small part of her heart somewhat touched by the fox's promise. "Thank you," she murmured, and in the heat of the moment, grabbed his hand and brought it to her lips, placing a soft, appreciative, and featherlike kiss on the back. She felt his body stiffen behind her, but his arm tightened its hold around her waist. "Is that all?" she asked, unconsciously intertwining their fingers together.

For a moment, Youko's eyes remained fixated on their joined hands, until a second after, as if he just snapped out of a trance, he shook his head. "No," he replied, momentarily pausing to clear his throat, "There's more, but I doubt you'd want to know."

"Well, I _did_ ask, didn't I?" she responded as she leaned her back against his alabaster chest, the steady motion of his chest heaving up and down in time with his soft breathing somewhat having a calming effect on her nerves. "What's it about?"

"Nothing much," Youko tried to ignore the way the feel of her supple figure pressed against the hard contours of his body teased at his urges, "Just something about the Tree of Illusion holding the barrier together."

She turned to curiously look at him from her shoulder. "The Tree of Illusion?" she echoed, "What's that?"

"Remember that plum blossoms tree outside my territory?" he asked, and at her nod in remembrance, continued, "Well, that's the one."

"It keeps the barrier together?"

"Yes, it does." He paused. "However, there has been a lot of damage to the tree. I suppose it's due to reason that my followers and I have been leaving in Reikai up until a week ago; there was no one to tend to or look after it."

"That's your job, isn't it?" came her knowing statement, the words bringing a smirk to his countenance.

"Yes, it is," and he nodded.

"What will happen if the barrier doesn't hold?"

"Well, if worse comes to worse, then that means all demons from throughout Makai will be able to raid and attack everyone in this place," he told her, instinctively tightening the grip he had around her waist when she tried to sit up, the movements causing her to nearly break free of his hold.

She stared at him with eyes wide as saucers. "I-Isn't that terrible?!" she almost yelped, but her voice was frantic nonetheless.

He smiled. "Of course it is, but you don't have to worry."

Shock and trepidation dying down, taking its place was bewilderment as the girl gazed at him in confusion. "What?"

"It usually doesn't take long to heal the tree," he informed her, "It is centuries years old long. This is not the first time it's been damaged. All I have to do is lend a little of my energy to the tree, and we will last for about another three or four centuries."

"Oh." She relaxed a little, a sigh of relief escaping her throat. _And here I thought we were goners_ , she thought to herself, and smiled. "Well then, I suppose you better get to work."

"You're right," he agreed, surprising her with the lack of hesitation in his voice, "I should fix it. The sooner, the better." And before she could react, he gently removed her from his lap, his arm releasing her waist as he threw his legs over the bed. But, before he could get up to his feet, Botan was quick to grab his arm, halting him mid way in his movements. He whirled his head around to pin a curious stare on her.

She returned the look. "This impatience is unusual even for you," she remarked, "Is there something more going on with the tree that I don't know of?"

For a moment, she could have sworn he flinched, and her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Tell me, Youko, is there something more you're not telling me?" she asked, firmer this time, as she crawled until she was at his side at the edge of the bed. He looked away, and she cupped his cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze once again. "Tell. Me," she said, accentuating each word to emphasize her point.

She could tell he was reluctant, but after a few moments of a staring contest, he finally relented, letting out a soft sigh. "Guarding this place is not the only job of the Tree of Illusion," he told her, grimacing as she pulled her hands away from his face. "It's also supposed to hide your presence."

"Huh?" Botan was taken aback. "What are you talking about?"

"It's called the Tree of Illusion, right?" He crossed his arms over his chest as he fixed an irritated stare on her form. "Its job is to cast an illusion on whoever is not resident at my domain. Outsiders will only see ruins if they come across this place, although ones with strong demon energies like the higher-ups at the neighboring countries will be able to see through the illusion."

She scowled. "That still doesn't explain anything about what it has to do with me," she mumbled under her breath, to which he flicked her forehead in return. A soft 'Ow!' escaped her as she rubbed the sore spot.

"That's because you didn't let me finish," he said as he gave her a deadpanned look. "Anyway, like I was saying, as the Tree of Illusion casts illusions on outsiders, this also includes residents from Reikai. Reigens who don't belong here. So, they wouldn't be able to see this place. Which means they can't see _you_."

Her eyes broadened. "B-but, Koenma said that when you saved his life, you took him to your territory… to this place… a-and… wasn't he able to see it then?"

"Yes, he was," Youko murmured, "He could see it, but that was only because I allowed him to. You see, the Tree of Illusion, because it is what I've grown and raised, it is a part of me. Like all other plants in this place that you see. And as it is a part of me, what I intend to do, it will already know. And if I intended to let guests in my domain, then it will allow the guests to see my home. If I don't, it won't. That's why when you first came here; you were able to see this place as what it truly is. Because it recognizes you as its lady and mistress." He ogled her, taking in her reaction.

"But…" Although she understood, Botan wasn't sure how to take the elaboration. That meant that she could truly never escape from here. _Well, not like I can from the beginning, anyway, so what difference does it make?_ Came her bitter thought, before she quickly shrugged it off. "But…" she repeated once more as she regained her tattered composure, "what if they are able to see it? Your home?"

"They won't." Botan nearly jumped at the growl that erupted from his throat, his features fierce and dark as he stared at her. "And even if they could, they won't see you as anything but another demon. I'll make sure of that."

Botan was skeptical. Could he really accomplish that? He could try as much as he might want to, but anyone who spared her a fleeting glance would tell in a heartbeat that she was a ferry girl… But then, he did say that the tree was a part of him, that whatever he wished for, it would achieve it. If he wished for the reigens from Reikai to see her as a female demon, then that would certainly happen.

"What if I leave?" Botan found herself asking before she could stop herself.

"You can't. If you try, I can summon my death plants to gobble you up with just a few words and a snap of my fingers." His eyes flashed dangerously at her. "Do you really think you can outmatch me? It will only cost you your life."

Botan bit her lip as he went on, "Besides, it's not like you can go back to Reikai, now can you? None of your friends recognize you. Not even Koenma can recognize you."

"I know that," she snapped. He didn't have to rub it in her face; she already knew that even without him telling her. She just wanted to know if there really was a chance that she could leave. But, of course, knowing Youko, it wouldn't be difficult for him to keep her locked her for as long as he wanted. She sighed, resigning to her fate for the umpteenth time. Although, no matter how much she told herself that there was nothing she could do – and there really was nothing – she could never stop hoping.

"Let me make it up to you," Youko exclaimed as he saw her dejected expression. She lifted her gaze to fix it on him. For some reason, he looked anxious and worried. He must fear that he would lose her. "I forced you to stay here, and I know this place is nothing like your home at Reikai… so let me make it up to you."

All of a sudden, his hand found hers, and even though this wasn't the first time he held her hand, Botan couldn't resist as the blood immediately rushed to her face.

"H-how?" she inquired in a mixture of wonder and bafflement.

For a second, his features were thoughtful, seeming as if he was considering something. Then, after a long pause, he announced,

"I want to show you something."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 4**

"Shit," Kuronue savagely cursed as he caught a whiff of something, the strong aroma attacking his nostrils catching him by surprise.

It wasn't as if it was a bad smell, but it was more of a matter of the fact that it was _the_ smell… Shock dying down, taking its place was utter joy and complete anticipation. He raced towards the kitchen, eyes wide and hopeful as he reached the door to the cooking place, pushing the wooden material open. He was barely aware of the fact that he accidentally slammed the door too rough due to the excitement overwhelming his senses, the action causing a huge crack the size and shape of a door to appear on the once empty, smooth wall.

The two people in the room looked up to peer at him with their questioning stares.

"Kuronue," Youko called in a slight irritated tone, "You've made a mess in my kitchen."

Grin faltering, the bat demon blinked at his words, not minding the annoyance dripping in his friend's voice as he turned to look behind him, finally taking note of the huge crack he made on the wall. A loud burst of laughter erupted from his throat, as if he found something amusing. "I did that?" he asked, although he already knew the answer, judging from Youko's lack of friendliness to his arrival. "That's awesome!"

"Um," Botan started, brushing off her thoughts of what the demon could possibly find 'awesome' about the crack in the wall, as her curiosity of his sudden appearance got the better of her, "Kuronue-san, would you mind telling us why you're here?"

"Ah, right," Kuronue said, as if he just recalled something, before making to close the door. Neither minded Youko who was grumbling something incoherent under his breath. "I was checking to see if my suspicions were correct. And I must say, they are certainly confirmed now." He shot a sidelong glance at the fox, who merely quirked one disinteresting eyebrow at him in return.

The ferry girl blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about Youko here," Kuronue pointed at said demon as he grabbed one of the stools laid against the counter, taking a seat on it with his legs parted and his hands placed flat on an unoccupied space on the stool between them. "I can't believe he's started cooking again."

"Why?" Botan asked as she took the cup of hot chocolate Youko handed to her, watching from the corner of her eyes as the fox took a seat beside her on the counter. Parting her lips, the girl allowed him to slide a piece of bacon into her mouth.

"It's been four decades since he entered this kitchen," Kuronue answered, reaching to steal one bacon from the plate lying on Youko's lap, and frowning when the latter slapped his hand away.

"Really?" came Botan's startled inquiry.

"Yeah, really." Kuronue grinned, ignoring his fox friend's kicking at his knee, "Did you know that Youko's cooking has a unique scent? That's why I recognized that it was him when I smelled the aroma from the hallway."

"Oh." Botan spared a fleeting glance at the fox, who was by then sporting a light flush around his cheeks. She smiled. "Well, I didn't know anything about that. But, you see, Youko here only started cooking because he said he wants to make it up to me for everything he's done."

"Huh?" Kuronue let out a 'pfft' sound, as if he was trying to stifle a laugh, " _This_ guy?" He pointed a finger at Youko, the fox gritting his teeth in annoyance. "Don't believe him, Botan-chan. He'll start making mistakes again; it's just in his nature to… Ow!" he screamed when a leg suddenly kicked him in the gut, causing him to fall on the floor on his butt.

"You've got a big mouth," Youko remarked simply, as if he hadn't just kicked Kuronue off the stool. He pushed himself off the counter as he strolled for the dishes he had prepared settled on the other corner, the plate in his hands. Botan eyed him as he placed one after another of the most delicious food on the plate, no doubt for her own satisfaction.

A soft smile lifted up her lips. "I know," she said, loud enough for the fox to hear, and she could have sworn she saw him stiffen, "But, it's okay," she added abruptly, the smile on her face widening a little, "Everyone makes mistakes. There's no use in hoping for anyone to stop making them."

Both males in the kitchen were silent, Youko startled to hear her words, and Kuronue seeming to consider something.

"Well, I can see now why he's so hung up on you, Botan-chan. Although, if I were you, I'd be thinking twice before saying that in regards to Youko, of all people," Kuronue stated with a light smirk etched to his countenance and ignoring the deep frown now marring the girl's forehead, finally got to his feet, dusted off the dirt from his clothes, and headed for the door. Just as his fist wrapped around the knob, he turned to look at the other two. "Anyway, I'll see you guys when I see you. I've got some other business to attend to, so yeah, I'm afraid that I won't be able to have the pleasure to taste Youko's cooking. At least, not this time, anyway."

"Don't expect me to do this again, fool," Youko's voice spat at him.

His words were blatantly ignored as the bat raised a hand and waved it at them in farewell. "Well, catch you later," and with those last words, he turned the knob and shut the door behind him as he exited the kitchen.

Silence engulfed the remaining duo as the slamming sound of the door coming close sounded in the empty air.

"Here," Youko's voice broke off the silence like knife through butter, and Botan's gaze found their way to his face, the girl nearly falling off the counter as surprise filled her senses at his sudden close proximity with her, his arm on her back, his hand lying dangerously close to her hips and their foreheads almost touching.

It wasn't until she felt something wet press against her lips did she finally look away from him.

Peering down, the girl blinked. "What's this?"

"It's a strawberry. Chocolate-coated. You like these, don't you?" he stated knowingly, as if he had always been aware of that small fact about her. Not that there was any element of surprise here. He knew a lot of things about the ferry girl. Even things she herself was not aware of.

"I…" she started, but before she could utter more, he slid the sweet treat between her lips, pushing it into her mouth as it was stuck between her teeth. Startled, it took her a while to chew on the strawberry, the taste of chocolate mingling with the pink juices of the fruit melting on her tongue. "Stop," she said when he grabbed another one, attempting to feed her again. He halted in his actions to study her. "I-I can't… eat anymore…" she murmured.

"Why, are you full already?" he inquired her, and she shook her head.

There was no way she could tell him that she was embarrassed that he was feeding her, whilst also being way too close to her. But, she also couldn't bluff and say that she was full, knowing that he would be able to see right through her. It was odd, though. They'd been closer than this before, having had sexual intercourse on more times than she could count. But, for some reason, she felt timid… _shy_. Perhaps it had something to do with the way he was looking at her. She couldn't tell, because he never ever looked at her that way before… but, it almost felt, well, dare she say it, _loving_. But, that wasn't possible, right? A demon like him could never love. He himself had told her that. And yet, here she was, sitting on the counter, blushing like crazy and heart racing. _What the hell's wrong with me?_

"Then," Youko suddenly uttered, the sound of his smooth, teasing voice bringing her out of her reverie. She lifted her gaze to meet his, the bright crimson coloring her cheeks reddening at the seductive smirk on his features. "I know just the thing to cure that."

"Cure… what? What are you…" she trailed off as Youko's mouth wrapped around the chocolate-covered strawberry, and before she could question him of what he was planning to do, he pulled her closer to him, slamming his lips against hers, and diving his tongue inside, forcing the fruit into her mouth.

He pulled away, and she made to protest, only to be silenced as he leaned in, claiming her lips once again, and deepened the lip lock, his tongue stroking and pushing against hers, the wet appendage trying to persuade her to respond. She hesitated for a moment, before finally allowing her tongue to move, Youko's muffled groan of approval sending a delighted shiver down her spine.

Before she knew it, a hand was already trailing teasingly up her leg, her eyes widening in shock as it disappeared into her skirt. _W-wait! Not here!_ Her mind screamed; what if someone walked in and saw them? But, it was already too late. His fingers found her panties, stroking her wet region through the fabric. Her body quivered, and he broke off the kiss, panting heavily, although not as heavy as she was.

"Chew," His hoarse, husky voice ordered her, and all of a sudden, she was aware of the strawberry still in her mouth. She obediently did as she was told, biting on her tongue to stifle a cry as he slid his hand into her underwear, his fingers instantly infiltrating her core.

Reaching one trembling hand down, Botan grabbed his, uncertain if she wanted more or for him to stop.

Although, Youko seemed to have other plans as he quickly drew his fingers out of her, the wet plopping sound following his actions teasing at their urges. Botan looked up to stare at him in bewilderment, but before she could ask him what was wrong, he silenced her yet again with his lips.

She was vividly aware of Youko's fumbling on his pants, the piece of clothing falling limply to the floor as he grabbed her thighs, forcing her legs apart. Roughly, he thrusted his thick shaft into her, the sudden infiltration causing the girl to break off the kiss and throw her head back, a loud, startled gasp escaping her lips as her eyes widened into saucers.

She felt him move, and that was when the shock finally died down.

"Damn fox…" she growled between breathy pants and lewd moans, as he forced her on her back on the counter. His hips slammed into hers wildly, each thrust causing her back to drive almost painfully against the cold, rough surface of the counter. "Y-you could have given me a warning…" she went on, as her hands found his tunic, fingers frantically trying to take it off. But then again, when she thought about it, when did he ever give her a warning or anything of the sort? He merely took her whenever he wanted to. If he wanted to fuck her in public, he would.

But, what surprised her was the response she earned.

A soft smile, a loving stare, and a slowing of his drilling hips, as his thrusts slowly but gradually became… _gentle_ …

"Sorry," and he leaned down to give her another breathtaking kiss, "I couldn't help myself."

* * *

"Hiei," Kuronue gestured towards the fire demon idly strolling up to him, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing to you, fool," Hiei snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, "What are you doing, standing at the door while listening to those two fucking?" he asked, gesturing to the sounds coming from the other side of the door. As muffled as they were, he could still hear them quite clearly, and that made him flush lightly in the face. Although, he tried not to let his embarrassment show. The bat demon, on the other hand, seemed calmer, compared to him.

"No reason." Kuronue shrugged lightly, before turning to look at Hiei, a smirk appearing at the corners of his lips. "You think I'm a pervert, don't you?"

"A pervert _and_ an idiot," Hiei corrected him, "Do you seriously think Youko can't take care of himself?"

Kuronue feigned ignorance as he inquired, "Whatever do you mean, Hiei?"

"You're worried about them," came Hiei's response; though composed as ever, there was undeniably a hint of underlying irritation within his voice, "You're worried about how their relationship would progress after this."

"And you're not?" Kuronue shot back.

"No," Hiei scoffed, although the light blush surrounding his cheeks reddened ever so slightly, "And even if I was, I wouldn't be standing here, eavesdropping. It's absolutely unfitting."

"Well, I didn't expect they would actually go for it, you know," Kuronue stated, "How am I supposed to know that they were going to…"

"I'm going before my head explodes," Hiei cut him short, making to walk away.

"From all the blood rushing to your head?" Kuronue playfully added, a toothy grin spreading on his features as his short companion shot a death glare his way. "I'm going with you, then," he said, going up to saunter side by side with Hiei, who merely 'hn'ed in return.

"Hey, Hiei?" Kuronue called after moments of silence, earning a quirked eyebrow in response. "What do you think will happen from now on?"

Hiei's mouth formed an honest answer, "I don't know. Although, I suspect the girl will fall for him sooner or later."

"How can you be so sure?" Kuronue asked, catching on to the slight confidence in the fire demon's voice. When Hiei felled silent, Kuronue could already assume the reply. "You've been going to Amerda's again, haven't you? Youko won't be pleased if he hears about this."

"Then, you should keep your mouth shut," Hiei's voice spat.

"What did she tell you?"

Hiei was unresponsive yet again, and for a moment, Kuronue figured that that was the end of the conversation. But then, Hiei spoke, "Nothing much. Just about how the girl will end up falling for him. However, I fear if she does, the worst will occur."

Kuronue furrowed his brows at the warning of some sort of impending doom. "What are you talking about?" he asked,

but the only response he received was a shake of Hiei's head.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 5**

"My, if it isn't Kuronue," an amused, chilling feminine voice echoed through the walls of the hallway, and the bat demon in question shifted his gaze to the owner, "I did not expect a visit from you."

Kuronue narrowed his purple eyes at the sight of the ruby-eyed demon before him, her long, wavy pink hair reaching just above her knees. "I wouldn't be here without a reason, Amerda," he murmured, "I came here in regards to the lord Youko and his new mistress-to-be."

"Well, what would you like to know?" Amerda asked, a smile reaching its way to her purple lip-glossed lips. "Although, I doubt whatever I will tell you will be of any difference to what your friend, Hiei, has told you."

"I never would have expected that he came all the way here to see you," Kuronue blurted out, letting out a scoffing sound, "I thought the reason for his constant coming and going to and from this country was because of his mate, Mukuro."

A giggle poured out her lips. "Well, you are not entirely wrong about that," she said, her irises flashing in a way that sent a shiver down the bat demon's spine, "Hiei _has_ been visiting our mistress Mukuro for these past couple of months. However, he comes to see me whenever he has worries and doubts he wants to receive answers from."

"I see," Kuronue responded, his tone a little dry as he nodded his head, "And here I thought he was friendly with you or something. Although, I never would have figured Hiei would be in any need of your… services."

"That's because your lord, Youko, loathes me very much, isn't it?" Amerda stated more than asked, a light smirk tugging at her lips. "And judging from the way your demon energy is spiking, I assume you're not very fond of me either, are you now?"

"I'm not," he answered, despite knowing that it wasn't a question. "But, I came here because I'm curious about something, and you're the only one who possesses the answers I need."

"Well, although I am quite honored that you came to see me, I am afraid I cannot tell you what you want to know."

"Why not?" Kuronue's voice slightly raised a notch as he felt ire creeping up his skin. "You told Hiei, what difference would it make if you told me?"

"A _big_ difference," came Amerda's almost instant reply, her smirk faltering and reducing into a thin line as her features turned serious. "You want to know about the omen I told Hiei if that girl ends up liking the fox lord. Unfortunately, I did not tell him anything besides what he has told you, and that is something awful will happen if love exists between the two. Nor will I tell you of what I know."

"But…"

"I understand you are concerned over Youko's well being and perhaps, the girl's too, but, I'm afraid I cannot give you what you wish for." She shook her head. "Fortune-telling demons such as myself make it our top priority not to tell our customers of bad fortunes. It lessens the possibility of it happening, you see."

Kuronue made to argue more, only to clamp his mouth shut as the last sentence of the demon's words reverberated in the recesses of his mind. If she was telling the truth, as opposed to her usual fickle, lying demeanor, then he didn't want to risk the possibility of increasing the chances of whatever awful disaster that would befall his best friend and his mate.

"Then…" His shoulders slouched a little, as he gave out a soft, defeated sigh, "What should I do?"

"Nothing," Amerda said sternly in an effort to force the other demon to realize his uselessness to prevent whatever would take place, "There's nothing you can do for them but let fate to take them where they rightfully belong."

* * *

"Did I ever tell you you're beautiful?"

The two sat together side by side on the meadow filled with colorful flowers, and as the words reverberated in the air, a rosy shade appeared on Botan's cheeks. "Stop," she ordered, although a smile was evidently etched to her sweet face, "You're making it hard for me to concentrate."

"Isn't that the purpose?" Youko stated, as he turned his gaze to the flower crown he was working on, seated comfortably on his lap. "If I finish one first, then you promise to marry me, right?"

Botan parted her lips, but the action only allowed Youko to slip a bud of flower between her teeth. She blinked, before reaching up to take it out of her mouth. "And if I succeed on beating you, what will you give me?" she asked, although she knew better than to wish for her freedom.

"Anything you want," Youko smiled, but the quirk of his lips was chilling, and failed to offer her any comfort, "as long as it doesn't have anything to do with you leaving my side."

She shook her head, musing for a moment that she already expected that kind of answer from someone like him. "If I marry you, will you take care of me?"

Youko neared his lips to her ear, the girl blushing hotly as he blew a warm breath over her sensitive skin. "Always," he whispered, before leaning in, and placing a soft kiss on her temple, "For as long as you are mine."

"And if I wasn't yours anymore?" she tested, stifling a grin at the deep frown she earned in response to her question.

" _That_ will never happen," Youko said, as a feral growl, low and dangerous, rumbled in his chest.

"I know that," Botan uttered, finally allowing the lightest smile to graze her pink, honey-dew lips, "It's just a what if I've been really curious about."

"Then, I'll kill whoever stole you from me," His response came almost immediate, his voice joking, but Botan knew better. The dark look in his eyes was enough to express his seriousness over the matter.

"Well, if that's the case," Botan inhaled a sharp intake of breath, "I'm going to have to be yours forever, isn't that right?" Her smile wavered slightly as in a lower voice, she went on, "I don't wish for anymore blood to be spilt because of me."

And all of a sudden, the air between them felled into an interminable silence.

"Do you hate me?" Youko found himself blurting out before he could stop himself, catching the girl by surprise over his sudden words, and the fear and worry dripping in his voice. Shock dying down sooner than expected, Botan pinned a questioning gaze on the fox.

"What are you talking about?" she finally inquired when he made no effort to elaborate.

He hesitated, but then he spoke, "For what I did. For everything I did. Murdering Heiji… taking away your friends' memories…" he trailed off as he thought of the prospect of his beloved possessing such loathing towards him, a pang of hurt stabbing at his chest.

Silence; tense, uncomfortable silence engulfed the two once again, Botan musing over his words and the cruel deeds he had done, whilst Youko waiting for her to justify him with a response. Seconds ticked by, and still, her voice had yet to echo in his ears; and the longer she remained unresponsive, the more impatient and restless he grew to become.

When she finally uttered, "I don't know," Youko released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding on to.

"Oh, I see..." Youko looked away from her, turning his attention to his now completed flower crown. A rare, genuine and gentle smile curled at the corners of his lips and averting his gaze back to the ferry girl, his smile broadened.

Botan blinked once again, jerking her head up to study him when she felt him place something on top of her head. "What…" Trailing off, she reached one hand up to touch whatever it was that wrapped around her skull, finally realizing what it was when her fingers met contact with a soft, fluttering petals. "You made one," she blurted out, before taking a moment to pause. "How do I look?"

There was a glint in Youko's smoldering gold as he ogled her appearance. "Gorgeous as always," he answered, his voice sincere with a slight teasing edge. Momentarily, he noted how perfect the small flowers fitted with her as they decorated her sky blue hair; they were white, just like her soul – divine, with no sins of red tainting its purity.

"You know," he started, gaining the attention of Botan who was busy playing with the flower crown. He watched as she halted her ministrations, and when she did, extended his arm out to grab hold of her hand, promptly bringing it to his lips. "Even if you hate me," he murmured against her skin, "I will still cherish you, and want you for the rest of my life."

There was a faint blush on her cheeks. And then, in the bone chilling breeze, her words echoed in a hushed whisper,

"I know."

* * *

"And _where_ were _you_?"

Kuronue flinched at the voice that disrupted the supposedly silent air around him, and after a hesitant pause, reluctantly spun on his heels, coming face to face with a sneering fire demon he could recognize as the other one of the couple of his most trusted and closest partners.

"Somewhere," he uttered, his voice calm as ever, despite the panic coursing through his veins.

"Somewhere as in at Amerda's?" Hiei guessed, although the way he said it sounded more like a statement than anything else.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kuronue lied, tilting his nose up in the air in a haughty manner so as to appear arrogant and proud. Although, his efforts were fruitless as Hiei, already aware of his previous whereabouts, could read right through his bluff.

"Nice try, but you can't fool me," Hiei scoffed, a light smirk coming to tug at his lips.

"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Kuronue muttered, his shoulders slouching as he gave a defeated sigh, realizing there was no use trying to hide the truth from someone who was already knowing of it.

"Didn't I already tell you that she's not going to tell you anything?" Hiei stated in a matter of factly way as he walked right past the bat demon. Kuronue eyed his retreating form for a moment, pulling a pout as he made to follow suit.

"I didn't think it would hurt to try," he mumbled in a grudging tone under his breath.

"And so? What did you find out?" Hiei questioned, as he crossed his arms over his clothed chest.

"Nothing much, really. Basically things I already know," Kuronue responded in a tart, slightly irritated voice. "Amerda's really stubborn."

"Which is one of the reasons Youko hates her," Hiei added in an abrupt, blunt manner.

Trepidation suddenly shot through Kuronue's heart at the reminder of the fox's high amount of dislike for the fortune-telling demon. "Do you think he'll kill us if he finds out that we went over there to see her?"

"Shouldn't you be worried more about the bad omen concerning Youko and Botan than that small matter?" Hiei retorted simply as he tapped his fingers on his elbow.

"It's not a small matter, this is about life and death, you know," Kuronue answered in a serious tone. "You know how he is."

"I doubt he'd do that," came Hiei's almost inaudible murmur, "He's too busy with the ferry girl to give a damn."

"Hiei." The said fire demon halted in his tracks, both at the call of his name, and the sudden stop to Kuronue's footsteps. He regarded the taller male with a slightly exasperated stare. "Have you forgotten? Amerda's the bitch who killed his mother. He's never _too_ busy to butcher anyone who tries to associate with her."

Hiei's mouth tugged down into a thin line at the mention of the murder of Youko's dead parent. "That's in the past," he stated dryly, "Youko's not the type to hold a grudge… well, not until he's satisfied anyway."

"And do you really think that he's _satisfied_? Youko's rarely satisfied," Kuronue shot back, his voice as dry as the other.

"He ripped out the throat of Amerda's brother and sister, and hung their heads on a tree branch outside her home. What do you think?" Hiei's sarcastic response came almost instantly.

A look of understanding finally crossed Kuronue's charming features. "Guess you're right," he mumbled. "So, back to the omen. What do you think will happen?"

Hiei was silent for a brief second. "I don't know, really. Did Amerda give you any sort of advice?"

"No." Kuronue scowled. "She only said to let fate take them where they belong or whatever. If you ask me, that's a load of crap."

"Well," Hiei shrugged, "It's not like you have the power to change fate anyway."

Kuronue was unresponsive.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 6**

"Ah!" A startled cry resonated, echoing through the walls of the huge, white bathroom as the tips of rosy nails dug painfully into smooth, pale skin. "Y-Youko…"

The fox halted his ministrations of suckling a pearl white neck as he tilted his head upwards to study the ferry girl, a light smirk tugging at his lips at the sight of her flushed face, pleasure written all over her features as her mouth hung apart to let out another scream. His fingers delved deeper into her, and he could have sworn she _mewled._

"You're getting better at this," His low, husky voice remarked to her, causing the girl to peer down at him with a baffled stare.

"W-what are you—" Her sentence was abruptly cut short, reducing into a loud moan of pleasure as he slid a third finger into her damp core. The water splashed as he shifted in the bathtub to allow the lightest touch of the head of his cock against her slick folds, their tangled bodies pressing closer than ever.

"You used to put up a fight," Youko murmured, before attaching his mouth on the plump mound that was her right breast. "Now, you're so willing and hot and bothered… all for me." He wrapped his lips around a sensitive bud, suckling roughly before pulling back, and giving it a harsh suck, relishing in the whimper that he managed to elicit from his lover.

"N-no…" Botan shakily denied with trembling lips, her nails traveling down his back, and she scratched, leaving bloody tracks in its wake. And in a firmer, more determined voice, she went on, "I'm _not_."

"Obstinate as always, aren't you?" Youko's voice, hoarse as his breathing slightly ragged, sounded a little disapproving, although a bit muffled as he buried his head in her chest. His mouth parted slightly, allowing his sharp fangs to lightly bite at her sensitive nipple.

Botan jerked at the abrupt action, her nails digging impossibly deeper into his back. Her eyes were wide before she shut them tight, biting on her lower lip to stifle a cry at the sudden sense of inkling pain that shot through her right breast.

She could feel Youko's mouth curl upwards into a smirk against her skin, irritation creeping up her skin as he pulled away, her nipple escaping his lips in a wet 'pop'. "Oh, sorry," he said, his voice mockingly sweet as he grinned evilly up at her, "Did that hurt?"

The girl fumed, averting her gaze to the wall beside her as he brought her closer into his lap, his hands digging into the skin of her hips. She ignored the sensations that rocketed through each cell of her being, biting on her tongue to avoid making any sounds as he lifted her up and down, the action causing his thick shaft to slide up and down the lips of her awfully damp core.

"Really, I mean it," He seemed and sounded sincere this time as his voice dropped an octave lower, gentle and kind as the evil grin from his countenance disappeared, taking its place was a warm smile, "I'm sorry." He halted his ministrations, only to hoist her up a little as the tip of his cock sunk into her, "I'll be gentle if you want," he whispered.

The crimson tinge that she'd developed around her cheeks turned ten shades darker at his offer. That wouldn't do, though. As much as she was used to softcore, tender love-making, this was different. With Youko, she was accustomed to his rough thrusts; used to the feel of him fucking her like there was no tomorrow. It was easier that way; easier for her to think that this was nothing but another one of those friends with benefits relationships with no attachments, and just the act of sex. But, when Youko would suddenly go gentle, she would always feel… this _weird_ , but _familiar_ … feeling in the middle of her chest.

Troubled with the small affections taking residence in her heart, Botan scratched, _hard_ , on his back, and that was the only answer he needed to hear. The only answer she needed to give.

* * *

Eyelids fluttering open, Botan flinched at the sunlight that peeked through the baby blue curtains decorating the windows, the golden sun rays attacking her defenseless eyes making her turn to face the other way.

She blinked at the empty space beside her, one that had used to fill a person's body weight. Heaving a sigh, Botan wondered idly to herself for a moment where he'd gone to. No doubt for another meeting or something of the sort. He was a busy man after all, being the lord of this keep.

Propping herself up her elbows, the ferry girl sat up from the bed, leaning against the headboard as she rubbed a fist over her eyes. She stretched her sore arms and legs, tired after long hours of relentless sexual intercourse. Youko was frisky, sluttish and it was almost impossible for her to keep up most of the time, but she had learned to grow accustomed to it by now. Even the sleepless nights where she used to complain about his high sex drive that was the cause of the sore, numbing pain that would always haunt her limbs had long since past.

"Yes, who is it?" she asked, bringing the covers up to cover her bare torso as a knock sounded on the door. There was a slight sound of shuffling before an all too familiar voice spoke,

"Botan-chan? Can I come in?"

It was Kuronue; no doubt checking up on her because Youko asked him to. Clearing her throat, Botan threw her legs over the bed as she gave out a response, "Wait a sec. I'm going to put on some clothes."

"Okay," came his muffled reply, "Just tell me when you're done."

"Sure," she said as she spotted a pile of clothes at the far end of the room. She quickly recognized them as hers, and in one brisk motion, rushed to pick them up and swiftly put them on. A weird thudding sound came from the other side of the door, just in time for her to put on her shirt, the piece of fabric filling its duty to cover her nudity as it glided down her supple form. "Are you okay, Kuronue-san?" she inquired curiously. Dangling one leg off the ground, Botan started to pull her pants up her thighs as Kuronue's response echoed from through the door,

"I'm fine. Sorry, Hiei here was being a dick."

"Hiei's there, too?" Startled, Botan found herself blurting out the question.

There were some muffled curses before the bat demon finally replied, "Yeah, well, he's gone now. He went somewhere else because I was being 'annoying', so he said."

A giggle poured out her lips at his words, just as her hands finished buttoning her pants. "I'm done now. You can come in," she said, permitting his entrance into the chamber she shared with Youko.

The door slid open as instantly as her granted permission resonated through the walls, and in came Kuronue, his usual hat gone from its original place at the top of his head. "Hey," he greeted as he stepped in, "How are you? Are you feeling sore?" he asked, wriggling his eyebrows at her in a suggestive way.

Botan shook her head, but smiled at his subtly teasing voice. "I'm used to it," she replied, "Where's Youko?"

"He's at a meeting right now," Kuronue answered as he flipped his long, loose black hair over his shoulder.

"Oh," Botan mumbled softly, trying not to let it show as a wave of disappointment unexplainably overwhelmed her senses, "When is he coming back?"

His mouth formed an honest answer, "I don't know. Although, because he's going to heal the Tree of Illusion after the whole meeting's over… so I suspect by the time he's back, it's going to be nighttime."

"I-I see," she murmured, her head downcasted as her gaze met the floor. She stared at it for a moment, only to look up at the sound of a laugh reached her ears. Confusion dying down from her system, taking its place was irritation as she shot a glare at the giggling bat demon. "What's so funny?" she hissed.

"You are, Botan-chan," Kuronue replied as he wiped a single tear from his eyelids, his laughter gradually fading into thin air. "Don't tell me," and he snickered, "you actually miss him?"

Blood immediately rushed to the girl's cheeks at his choice of words. "W-what- Of course not!" she sputtered, ears turning red from the bright blush coloring her face. "I-I was just curious!"

"Well," He gave her a roguish grin, "Words can be the exact opposite of what the heart truly says sometimes."

"S-shut up! It's _not_ like that!"

He let out a laugh once again. "Alright, alright," he relented, raising his arms up in defense, "I'll shut my mouth."

Botan sounded an indignant huff, before crossing her arms and looking away. She gazed outside the window, the sound of chirping birds somewhat calming her nerves as she stared at the leaves fluttering with the wind. Heaving a soft sigh, she then turned to peer at Kuronue again, voice softer this time as she asked, "If he comes back while I'm gone, can you tell him that I'll be at the garden?"

Kuronue nodded dutifully. "Yeah, sure thing." His grin wavered as he added, "Although, that's assuming I see him, of course…"

She smiled. "I know."

* * *

Botan inhaled the fresh air, releasing it in a contented sigh as her bare feet touched the green grass. In her hands, she held her red sandals, placing it beside her as she took a seat at the heart of the garden. The bone-chilling breeze blew, silky, blue locks dancing with it as she was suddenly reminded of her oar. She hadn't materialized it these days; she had deemed it unnecessary as there really was no way out of this place. She wondered briefly how her friends were doing, and if Koenma was eating well. A smile curled at the corners of her lips. How long has it been since she last flew? Since she last felt the calming wind, the excitement and thrill that would travel down her spine with each inch she went higher and higher? She missed it. Missed flying. Missed her friends. Missed her old life.

But, the moment she came here, she already knew there was no getting it back.

Expelling a heavy sigh, Botan flopped down on her back against the grass as she stared up at the sky, the clouds decorating it seeming to remind her of the time she used to spend with Hinageshi cloud-gazing and guessing what shape they were.

"How did I get here?" she whispered in a soft voice, "And all because of that fox…"

Her thoughts went to Youko, causing that weird feeling to intrude her heart once again. It was familiar, it was something she had felt a few times before, but it was also something she was trying so desperately not to acknowledge. The fox was a cruel, merciless beast; she was supposed to steer clear of him. But, before she knew it, she was already tangled in his webs, trapped in his grasp, with a very slim chance of breaking free of his hold. And the sick thing was that although most of her relentlessly tried to remind her of who he really was – the monster she was so terrified of and possessed so much loathing for, there was undeniably a part of her that didn't mind being by his side. It was odd. He'd never done anything remotely worthy enough to gain such affections from her, and yet, at the same time, he had somehow – although she dared not admit it – won a small part of her heart. Was it because of despite his heartless exterior, he treated her as gently as he could, as if she was a fragile glass that he feared would break with the slightest harsh grip? Was it because the way his gold irises would light up in a way that she could compare with a child's whenever she rewarded him with words of praise? Was it because of the soft, genuine, and dare she say it, loving smile he would give her as he stared at her with so much affection that it would sometimes render her speechless _and_ breathless? Was it because he was different around her? That he treated her like a special being?

Botan shook her head violently from side to side, trying to rid herself from the thoughts that persisted on invading her mind and causing the little feelings inside her heart to blossom.

"I shouldn't be feeling this," she whispered, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence, and she repeated, firmer this time, "I shouldn't be feeling this."

After all, Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

And since when was she that lucky anyway?


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 7**

"Well, well," a cynical voice spoke, "Would you look at what we've got here."'

Botan jerked up in surprise at the sudden appearance of another, unfamiliar voice, her eyes widening in alarm at the malice-filled and taunting tone she detected within. She whirled her head around so hard she nearly thought it would break, getting up to her feet and backing away as she caught sight of two sinister-looking demons.

"W-who are you?" she tried to sound strong, only to curse herself when she came off scared instead, her voice breaking and high-pitched.

"Well, compared to you," A cat demon, one with dark blue hair and orange orbs started, his purple tongue darting out to lick his lips, the sight causing the hairs on her back to stand upright, "I'd say that who we are isn't really that important."

She averted her gaze to the grass, taking a step back as she saw the two pairs of feet before her step forward.

"I-I don't know who you are," and she sounded an audible gulp, "but if you do anything to me, the lord wouldn't be very pleased."

The other one, an ice demon with a gray mane, his magenta orbs dark as he leered at her, let out a maniacal laugh. "The lord?" The shrill noise of his laughter died out in the air, replaced with a mocking smirk. "Youko-sama's not here to see what we're about to do," He narrowed his eyes at her, "nor is he here to save you, girly."

"You know," The cat demon advanced towards her, and before she could spin on her heels and run off, he was already beside her, grabbing at her arm in a tight grip to prevent her from fleeing, "At first, we thought that a ferry girl like you doesn't deserve to set foot in this place, much less become our mistress."

"But then," The ice demon sneered, "we realized that you came here as a blessing."

"A-a blessing?" Botan echoed shakily, whilst trying to squirm her way out of the cat demon's grasp. Her chance for escape seemed to grow slimmer and slimmer by the second as he tightened his hold around her, his claws digging through the sleeve of her shirt and into her skin. Her face drained of color as the other one took hold of her other wrist, his free hand tugging at her chin and tilting her head upwards.

"Yes." He smirked, as his thumb traced over her trembling lower lip. "After all, for such a young, attractive creature such as yourself, surely you can put that sweet body of yours to good use."

Her eyes broadened in shock as reality came crashing down, the terrifying revelation hitting her of what they intended to do with her. The lust clouding the ice demon's eyes was enough to confirm her suspicions, and with the trepidation shooting through her heart, she discovered a sudden newfound strength, tugging both her arms out of their grasps.

She made to flee, but the ice demon managed to grab a hold of her waist, pulling her closer, and gritting her teeth, her leg shot up, kicking him square in the crotch. He let out a savage curse, involuntarily losing his grip on her as he felled to the grass, convulsing and covering the area between his thighs.

"Yori! Are you alright?" the cat demon asked in worry for his companion, who growled at him in return.

"Forget me, Marko! Get that fucking bitch!" he roared, pointing a finger at the fleeing ferry girl.

"Y-yeah!" Marko nodded his head, leaving the ice demon to deal with his own problem as he ran for the girl. He retrieved a blade from his pocket, throwing it her way. The sharp knife stabbed at her right calf, causing Botan to let out a pained cry as she felled face first into the dirt.

Botan tried to get up, her hands quivering, cursing as the numbing pain from the blade digging into her skin intensified with her movements. She dropped to the ground again, before making to get up once more, only to broaden her eyes as a hand clutched at her arm, tugging her harshly upwards, and crushing her against the hard contours of the cat demon.

"Oops," His voice was mockingly sweet, "Does that hurt?" And he kicked at the knife puncturing through her calf, the boot causing the knife to tilt to the right side inside her leg, causing her to whimper at the increased torment.

"If I were you," Marko started, his voice menacing, and his irises seeming to spell an impending doom, "I'd be more careful, ferry girl."

* * *

"Ah, Youko," Kuronue called to the marching fox demon, blinking at the concern touching his gold eyes. Youko turned to look at him, his brows furrowing into a deep frown.

"Where's Botan?" he questioned, voice frantic, his eyes turning wide in fear.

"Botan-chan? Oh, she's at the garden, she's…" Kuronue trailed off as the fox walked past him, cutting short his sentence.

* * *

Botan cried out as she was pushed down to the grass, the cat demon, Marko, hovering above her with his legs nudged between hers. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the other one, Yori gaining his composure as he strolled up to them.

"Damn whore," Yori cursed, roughly kicking at her side, the girl wincing at the brute force, "And here I thought I was going to be gentle."

"Maybe we should teach her lesson," Marko suggested, a smirk tugging at the edge of his lips as he let go one of her wrists, only to allow Yori to grab that one.

Yori smirked, his orange orbs flashing in a dangerous way as he studied the ferry girl pinned underneath. "Yes," He licked his lips, "She has to learn her place."

"That's right," Marko got off one side of her, only to pin her stomach with his knee when she tried to get up, "Just because you're Youko-sama's favorite slut, that doesn't mean you get to have everything go your way."

"Such a pretty face," Yori wove a hand through her hair, ignoring the way she flinched at his touch as he curled his fingers through the silky, blue locks, "and such soft hair."

"Wonder what your body looks like?" Marko taunted, one hand reaching for the hem of her shirt, a dark chuckle escaping him as Botan attempted to kick him off of her, the resistance futile as she was pinned on the ground with two stronger demons looming over her. Marko bent lower into her ear. "What a sight for sore eyes would it be to see the fear contorted on your sweet little face as I strip you off your clothes… one… by… one…." he growled in her ear, smirking as her lithe form shook at his words.

Yori's eyes narrowed as she tried to break free, the hand in her hand tugging roughly to elicit a pained cry from the ferry girl. "Don't struggle, or else I'll freeze you to death." And already Botan could feel his hand go cold, the ice biting into her scalp, and causing her to shiver.

She finally stilled when Marko held up another blade in front of her. "Be a good girl," he sneered, "and show us how good you can make us feel."

His lips neared hers, and Botan clamped her eyelids shut, tears stinging at the back of her eyes as she felt him lean closer, the stench of his breath causing her to turn her head away, only to have it harshly tug back, the claws digging into her neck tightening their grip around her throat.

"Release her," a cold, all too familiar voice ordered, a feral growl resonating in the air, and in a louder, firmer roar, the owner repeated, "I said, release her!"

Botan's eyes shot open as she felt the two demons hurriedly got off of her, allowing her the freedom to move according to her wishes. And she propped herself up on her elbows, making to sit up, a gasp escaping her as a clawed hand, one that she had felt roam over her form countless times, seized her wrist, gently tugging her up to her feet. She looked up, orbs broadening as she met contact with a pair of angry, smoldering dark gold.

"Y-Youko…" she whispered, and for a moment, she could see his fierce features soften. But, it was only brief, and the malice and blood lust returned to cloud his once vibrant irises as he let go of her wrist, pushing her softly out of the way as he advanced towards the now cowering pair of demons who dared to land their filthy hands on his beloved.

"You two have got a lot of nerve," His voice chilling and a smirk curled at the corners of his lips, baring his sharp, glinting fangs, "for trying to defile what is _mine_."

"Y-Youko-sama!" Yori begged, bending on his knees, Marko following his actions as he cried, "P-please spare us! W-we didn't mean to…"

"Silence!" the fox barked, his clawed hand extending and clutching a vice-like hold around the ice demon's neck. Yori winced, his own hands reaching up to pry Youko's stubborn fingers off his throat.

Youko's smirk widened as he watched the pesky demon attempt to break free of his grip. "Resistance is futile," he growled, "I am stronger than you."

"Y-Youko," Botan called with quivering lips as she stepped forward towards the furious fox spirit, "W-wait, don't…"

"Don't stop me, Botan," he cut her off, his voice gentle, but the underlying wrath was evident, "I'm going to kill these bastards for even thinking of touching you."

"No!" she cried, and ignoring his silent warning for her not to interrupt, limped towards him and immediately grabbed his arm, "Don't, stop this. I'm fine. I'm not inju…"

"You're not injured?" Youko growled, his features incredulous as he flicked his head to peer at her, "You've got a lot of nerve saying that after having a knife stabbed into your calf."

"I…" she trailed off as he narrowed his eyes at her, the look in the pair of molten gold enough to show her that if she interfered, it would not be without consequences. Despite the warning however, she was determined to not let have any more blood spilled because of her. "I won't forgive you if you do this," she murmured, her hands clenching into fists at her side.

For a moment, she could have sworn she caught a hint of trepidation in his irises, but it quickly dissipated, reduced into a blank stare as something abruptly tugged at her wrists and legs.

"What the…" Botan felled silent as she glanced down, and realized what it was. Green, thorny vines restrained her limbs, leaving her no room to escape. Her eyes widened as the vines lifted her off the ground, guiding her squirming body further back from the fox. "Youko! Let go of me!" she cried out, voice indignant, as the anger flared up in her eyes.

He shook his head, the response enough to express that he wasn't going to abide to her wishes. He turned to face Yori and Marko again, lustrous gold flashing in ire and menace as he fixed his gaze on their terrified countenances.

"So much fear." He smirked. "Unfortunately, I have no intentions of letting you slide with the terrible mistake you've done to my future bride."

And with those words, he tightened the clawed hand that seized Yori's neck, his fingers digging into the flesh before tugging upwards.

The head of the demon snapped easily.

"N-no!" A horrified gasp erupted from Marko's throat as he watched his comrade getting murdered in front of him. With legs trembling like jello, he tried to get up, but to no avail as a vine quickly attached itself to his throat, hooking around his neck like a vice as it tugged him back until he landed right beside Youko's feet. His head flicked up, tears welling in his eyes as he met contact with dark, cold molten gold. Youko crouched down on the grass, the taunting quirk of his lips broadening as the vine tightened its grasp around the demon's neck.

And as Marko glanced at where Yori's body had been, he could see the form of his friend rapidly getting devoured by six of the fox's death plants.

His eyes widened in terror, and before he could start begging for his life, Youko was already summoning half of his flesh-eating plants to gobble him up.

A shrill cry sounded in the air, and the fox whirled the other way.

"Are you okay?" he asked Botan as he silently ordered his vines to let go of her. They gently settled her to the ground, before releasing her and slithering away. He reached a hand out to her, but she harshly slapped it away. Hurt shot through his heart, but he tried not to let it show as he studied her, features softening at the sight of her quivering form and her bangs covering her eyes.

"W-why…" Her broken voice didn't finish, but he knew what it was she wanted to ask.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Are you alright, Botan?" he asked, firmer this time, as if giving the clue that he didn't want to talk about this.

Botan's head jerked up, revealing the crystalline tears that cascaded down her cheeks and the fury darkening her bright pools of amethyst. But, Youko remained unperturbed, even as she indignantly cried, "Why did you have to do that?"

"Why? Don't you mean why not?" he calmly responded, and was not at all surprised when her arm shot up, her hand quickly meeting contact with his cheek in an angry slap, the sound of skin smacking against skin almost like an echo as it reverberated in his ears.

"You didn't have to kill them!" she roared, and he could feel his own ire shining through.

"They tried to fucking rape you!" he barked, ignoring the way she flinched at his voice rose up a notch, "and you're still going on about that?" He watched her step back as he took a step forward, his features growing fierce. "What did you want me to do, stand aside and watch them rape you?" A low and dangerous growl rumbled in his chest, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "Or would you like that?"

His words further igniting the raging fire burning her sides with a deep loathing, Botan tried to shake off the pain that stabbed at her chest as she yelled back, "That's not what I meant at all, you cruel, heartless brute! How could you say that? You promised me you wouldn't kill anyone because of me anymore and yet you broke…"

"I never promised anything," his cold voice cut through her sentence like knife through butter, and Botan was taken aback.

"But…"

"And even if I did," Youko went on, his gold eyes gluing her to the ground, "you would be a fool to trust in a demon's promise. Didn't I tell you before? Demons are monsters. There is no denying that. I only did what I wanted to do. They tried to take what was mine, and now they have paid for the price of their sins," he told her, his voice lacking any emotion,

and then the air around them felled into an interminable silence.

From the corner of his eyes, he could see Rei running up to them.

"Botan-sama, what…"

"Take me to my room, Rei," Botan ordered, cutting short the worried dog spirit. He blinked at her in surprise, but nodded his head.

"Yes, of course…" he mumbled, sparing one last fleeting glance at the dead bodies rapidly getting eaten by Youko's plants, before taking Botan's hand in his. He bowed respectfully at Youko, before guiding the limping ferry girl out of the garden.

Youko's jaws clenched, an enormous pain stabbing at his chest as he watched Botan walk away with Rei holding tightly to her hand.

"Botan," he called, and the girl halted in her tracks, but she didn't turn to look at him, "They hurt you."

He could hear her take a deep breath. "Well," she started, whirling her head around to reveal her now dried tears, the wet tracks on her smooth cheeks visible, "so do you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 8**

"Um…" Rei started as he shut the door behind him, the arm wrapped around his shoulders unhooking itself as Botan began to limp for the chair seated near the window, "I am aware that this probably isn't even a business of mine… but… would you mind telling me what happened?"

The ferry girl turned to look at him, giving him a blank stare for a fleeting second before averting her gaze to the fluttering leaves outside the window. She shook her head, and the demon quickly caught the hint that she didn't want to discuss about this.

Heaving a sigh, Rei released the grip he had on the doorknob as he strolled up to her. "Are you okay?" he asked, worry slightly laced in his voice. For a moment, he could have sworn he caught a brief smile on her lips, but it swiftly disappeared. He waited for a response, but when none echoed, relented, deciding that he should keep his mouth shut. However, he grew increasingly concern at her dead silence. He wouldn't admit it, but he had begun to care for her, if only for the slightest bit. As a mistress, as a friend. He wasn't sure why, but perhaps it was due to the reason he'd been spending most of his time serving her these days. And now he found himself wondering if he could do something to help her… in any way…

But, _what_ could he do? She wouldn't say anything and he didn't even know what was wrong with her and… All of a sudden, an idea hit him, cutting short his pondering musings.

"Let me heal your wound," he offered, throwing a soft smile her way, the quirk on his lips broadening as she managed to return it with one of her own, although a bit lacking in its usual cheerful department. He bent on one knee, reaching out to gently touch her leg. The knife was sticking out of her calf, and his smile dropped as he watched the blood oozing out of the wide gash. "This is going to hurt," he informed her in warning beforehand, and he could see her inhale a sharp intake of breath. But, he earned a nod in return, and that was all the permission he needed.

Taking a hold of the handle, he tried to take the blade out of her gently, as gently as he could, but by the time half of it had already begun to surface, she was already shutting her eyes tight, her face contorted in pure pain. His hand stilled as her body shook, and he wondered if he should go on, even though he knew he had to. Botan fluttered her eyelids open, and with trembling lips, she formed a reassuring smile, telling him that it was okay. A brief second of hesitation, and then he nodded his head in a dutiful manner. Inhaling a breath, Rei clutched the handle tightly in his fist, and in a swift motion, quickly pulled the rest of the knife out of the girl's calf.

Botan could feel a cry building in her chest, threatening to come out of her throat, but she managed to stifle it, biting on her lower lip. "T-thank you," she murmured, her voice soft, and Rei nodded once again, his mouth curling upwards into a crooked grin, before he peered down at her wound again. The blood was oozing out faster now, cascading down and squirting out of her skin in a rapid motion. He had to act quick, if he didn't…

His thoughts came into an abrupt halt as the door suddenly slammed open, revealing an all too familiar fox with long silver hair. "Let me do it," were Youko's first words, and for a moment, Rei and Botan gaped stupidly at him, dumbfounded by his sudden appearance. Although, the latter got over her shock almost quickly, ire creeping up her skin again as she whirled her head the other way, avoiding Youko's unwavering gaze.

Rei blinked. "What?"

Youko narrowed his eyes. "Let me do it," he repeated a second time, "I'll heal her injuries. You can go and run some errand or something… Just leave the two of us be."

Rei's own surprise died down from his system as he immediately sensed the tension between the other two. He wasn't entirely certain what was going on, but he had a clue. The air around them was deadly, awfully comfortable, and it was always like this when Youko and Botan got into a hurtful mouth-war. A frown came to mar his forehead, and he was suddenly baffled of what he should do. If he left them alone now, they would probably end up in another fight, and whatever it was that had been the cause of it, Rei didn't want it to be the reason for their break up. On the other hand, if he disobeyed Youko's orders, the fox wouldn't be so pleased with his silent rebellion.

"Rei," the fox called, his voice demanding, "I'm ordering you to leave."

Although the dog demon could detect the irritation in his lord's voice, he couldn't help but murmur, "But…"

"I mean it." Youko shot him a stern expression, and he sighed. "Leave. Right now."

Rei, knowing that he should get out of there before Youko's patience grew thinner, quickly got to his feet, dusting off the debris from his clothes as he reluctantly complied, "As you wish, Youko-sama."

The fox spirit in question nodded, although his lips made no move to quirk up the way it would whenever he was pleased with his subordinates' obedience. He stepped aside as Rei headed for the entrance, the dog demon giving him a respectful and graceful bow before stepping out. Youko didn't bother to acknowledge him as he left, the creaking sound of the door coming close resonating in the cold, tense air.

"What are you doing here?" came Botan's snappy inquiry as soon as the door shut close. Her amethyst orbs pinned a vehement stare on Youko, who merely sauntered towards her, each step as calming as the next.

"This is also my room, is it not?" he stated, instead of answering her question. The girl eyed him with a skeptical gaze as he bent down, his arm extending out to reach for her wound. "I can heal it, you know." And without waiting for her reply, he slid a hand through his silver mane, retrieving a green leaf, its sides red-orange as it came into view. Stunned, she could only watch him as he popped in his mouth, chewing. It wasn't until he parted his lips, spitting the murky green essence into the palm of his hand, did she finally snap back into reality.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, brows furrowing into a deep frown as his destroyed leaf-covered clawed hand met contact with the bloody gash on her leg. She involuntarily shivered as she felt the cold substance mingle with the warm blood coming out of her wound.

"This leaf is a powerful herb," he finally spoke, and she could see him emit a faint, yellow light with his hands, "Your injuries will heal and disappear before you even know it."

Botan clenched her jaw. "I don't care," Her voice spat at him, "I have my own healing powers. I can do it myself without needing your help."

"You didn't mind it when Rei tried to do it for you," his sharp response came almost immediately.

Irritation flared up within her, further igniting the raging fire of anger already burning at her sides. "You're always so easily jealous," she scoffed, shifting her eyes to the window.

The reaction she earned was unexpected to say the least.

"I know I am," he said, his words barely a hushed whisper as they were let out and traveled to her ears, "I'm sorry if that's a nuisance."

Caught off guard by his surprising reply, Botan's eyes grew wide, broadening into saucers as she silently studied him. He didn't look at her, too focused on healing her injured calf, but she could almost see the hurt reflected in his usual emotionless but confident molten gold. Suddenly worried that her words might have affected him, the girl opened her mouth, making to apologize.

But, not a single word managed to be uttered out, as the sound of the door opening reverberated in her ears. Youko didn't lift up his head, but Botan rotated hers to see whoever it was that had disrupted her sentence. In came Kuronue, a crossed-arms Hiei trailing behind him as they entered.

"Hey, Botan-chan," Kuronue's calm of her name caused her to blink, "Are you okay?"

"Fool." Hiei snorted. "Can't you see that Youko's healing her leg? Of course she's fine."

"Shut up, Hiei." The bat demon rolled his eyes. "I didn't ask _you_."

Hiei's lips parted, making to make a smart remark, but it was promptly cut off as Youko's cold, chilling voice echoed, "Will you two leave us alone?"

The duo were quiet for a moment; it wasn't a request, they knew, it was an order. They spared each other a glance, before nodding their heads at the fox in affirmation. Hiei stepped out first, Kuronue following closely behind him as the door shut close once again.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Botan questioned as it was the both of them again. She leaned back in her chair, studying him as his gaze fixated on the healing task at hand.

"It ended early," he answered without returning her stare.

"What about the Tree of Illusion?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I've finished fixing that mess."

The ferry girl bit her lower lip at the apathetic tone laced in his voice, the lack of interest radiating off of the fox causing her to grow uncomfortable. "Are you angry at me?" she asked once again, her voice soft.

"Well, after getting repaid with a slap and with the name-call of 'cruel, heartless brute' when I tried to save you… what do you think?" came his snappy reply, a sarcastic edge evident in his voice.

"That's not my fault," Botan hissed, her fingers clenching into vengeful fists on the armrests of the chair she was seated on, "That's because you're always doing the wrong things. With Heiji, Koenma and my friends, and now…"

"That's because I'm a demon," he cut her off, the edge of his voice as sharp as knife, "What did you expect? For me to forgive those two bastards after they tried to lay a finger on you? What, am I supposed to act all saint now?" There was a low, dangerous growl. "You, of all people, should know better than anyone else that I'm not that kind of person. In case you've forgotten, I'll mention it to you again; I'm a demon, it's what our species do."

She gritted her teeth, and in a firm but lower voice this time, she said, "That doesn't matter." She took in a few deep, calming breaths. "Just because you're a demon, that doesn't justify your actions."

And he finally looked up at her, seeming indifferent, but Botan knew better. She could see the blazing fury burning his gold irises, disrupting the calmness that was almost always within them. "And that's where you're wrong, Botan. I never said anything about wanting to justify what I did and _will_ do."

Frowning, Botan opened her mouth to retaliate, only to clamp it shut again as the look in his eyes intensified, practically ordering her to be silent. Afraid of what he might do, she reluctantly bit back the words that threatened to leave her throat, not daring to utter anything under his intense gaze.

"What I did, it was what I wanted to do," Youko went on, and turned his attention back to her leg, whilst trying to ignore the whirlwind of negative emotions intruding his heart, "And I don't regret any of it. They had been exactly according to my wishes. Erasing Reikai's memory, killing off Heiji… and caging you in my domain… I don't regret any of them." Botan watched as he removed his hands from her calf, revealing the wide, bloody gash that was now reduced to nothing but her flawless skin. He got to his feet, and at that moment, their eyes locked. "They were all means of getting what I want," he told her, a bitter smile tugging at his pale lips, "and I want you."

She couldn't even budge a muscle as his hand reached out, his fingers coming to rest on her cheek. She licked her lips nervously as she felt him trace lazy circles, the tip of his razor-sharp claws scraping against her skin. Although, the touch was featherlike, almost gentle, and what followed his actions was nothing but small, tingling sensations.

"Like you said earlier, I am easily jealous, Botan," His smooth voice broke her out of her reverie, "and insanely possessive over what is mine." He smirked, removing his hand from her cheek as he bent slightly, that one, along with the other, attaching to her knees as he looked straight into her eyes, his smoldering gold seeming to stare right into her soul, "Did you know that I used to be a thief? A _legendary_ thief? It was before I met Koenma, before I even became the lord of this keep. And being a thief, and a _fox_ , a creature that is naturally cunning and possessive, I _despise_ every contact you make with the others, including my peers."

Botan was not shocked; she already knew all this, but she made to say something, only to be promptly silenced as Youko suddenly crushed her lips with his. Her body jerked in surprise, but before she could shove him away, he already pulled apart. The smirk had left his countenance now, his features stoic and unreadable as his irises remained glued on her.

"I'm willing to do anything," he started, his voice oddly low and yet deadly calm, "If I can have you all to myself, I'm willing to do anything, even if I have to kill off every living man in this place. So no one can steal you from me. So no one can ever dare to touch you again."

"Youko…"

"You know," he cut her short, "If you were to become my wife, if I destroy everything around you, and keep you locked in here forever," He smiled, the quirk of his lips chilling, almost mocking, but she knew he was dead serious, "it would be _perfect_."

Her eyes widened, the shock overwhelming her senses rendering her stunned and stealing her ability to speak. Would he really do that? All that for her? She doubted it for a fleeting moment, but she was aware of what he was capable of. Aware of how much he wanted her. And she knew he didn't care, that he would go through any length to keep her by his side. And that terrified her; it terrified her, but for some reason, a part of her could somehow accept it, even if it were to really happen. But, it wouldn't. She wouldn't allow it.

Her bright pools of amethyst turned serious as the surprise and trepidation in her died down, taking their place were will and determination as she said, "You have to learn some self control," and she could tell that the fox was startled as his mouth felled apart a little at her words, "If you keep this up," Her eyes softened, "I will end up hating you forever."

And for a moment there, she thought she saw the gold ogling her reflect pain, but it was brief, and they quickly reverted to their original indifferent state. She had to take a deep breath as he suddenly reminded her,

"Didn't I tell you before?" And he pulled back, letting go of her knees as he gazed down at her, his stare intense, "Even if you were to hate me, I would never let go. I would want you then, as much as I want you now. There is _no_ changing that," he emphasized as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"You can't possibly mean that," she tried, "A relationship with one of the two people hating the other will give you nothing but unbearable emotional torment. You may be saying that now, and you probably genuinely mean it at this moment, but when I really _do_ end up hating you, then you'll realize that it hurts more than anything. Even for a fox like you, I doubt you can even withstand all the pain. After all, if you really love me…"

"Unfortunately," His voice was cold, sharp like the tip of a sword, "I don't love you." And with those last words, he turned and walked away, leaving the girl stunned with disbelieve and confused with the pain that stabbed through her chest.

And as the door slammed shut, a single tear trailed down her cheek.

* * *

The bat demon, Kuronue, came to her room again that evening, and just in time to see her crying. She wasn't entirely certain, but she suspected that she had been bawling for three hours straight, and when Kuronue came into the picture, she couldn't help but blurt out the whole thing.

"You know he doesn't mean it," Kuronue said to Botan who was leaning against the headboard, "He loves you, Botan-chan. He was just pissed, that's why he said all that…"

"It doesn't matter," she responded dryly, "None of it matters."

His eyes softened. "Botan-chan, you don't really mean that."

And in a firm voice, she uttered, "No, I'm tired. I'm tired of all of this. Of him, of Youko. To hell with that goddamn fox. I sure as heck don't give a damn. Not anymore, anyway."

But, try as she might, Botan could never lie. Not to herself, much less to someone else.

After all, in the end, she still cared.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 9**

"Hey, Youko," an irritated call of his name captured the attention of the fox, who turned to the owner of the voice.

"What is it, Kuronue?" Youko asked, the Kiseru pipe placed between his lips muffling his words a bit. He looked away as his friend's features grew fierce, averting his gaze to the trail of white smoke coming out of the pipe.

"Are you trying to chase Botan-chan away?" Kuronue half barked as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and letting one dangle of the other. The fox was unresponsive, merely taking his pipe out of his mouth as he blew out a puff of smoke. The bat demon, further irritated with his companion's dead silence, crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his fingers impatiently on one elbow as one of his black eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Why did you say that to her? I mean, it's obvious you're in love with her, but even for you, getting pissed so much for you to hurt her like that, is out of the question."

"What, do you care about her now? Don't tell me you like her?" Youko murmured, his voice calm, but the underlying anger was evident. Kuronue expelled a deep sigh.

"She's right, you know," he started, "you _are_ easily jealous."

"So what if I am?" the fox spirit spat at him, finally turning his attention to him to shoot a heated glare his way.

Kuronue, although momentarily taken by surprise by his strong, violent reaction, let out a scoffing sound. "All I'm trying to say here is that if you keep telling her that, that 'you don't love her' – which by the way, I know is a blatant lie – she'll really end up thinking you don't care about her and you don't want her more than the physical act of sex. She'll end up assuming that you treat her like those ferry girls you used to fuck with."

"I don't give a damn about those girls."

"Which is exactly why you shouldn't treat Botan-chan like that," Kuronue pointed out with his index finger pointed accusingly at the fox, "or else she's going to think you feel that way about her as well."

Youko slid the pipe back to its original place between his upper and lower lip as he murmured, "I know that."

The corners of Kuronue's mouth curled upwards into a lopsided grin. "Well, since you're already aware of that, then I suggest you get your lazy ass off that couch, go to her, apologize and then make it up to her." His grin took on a more playful, teasing approach as he added, "If you don't want to see Botan-chan leaping into another guy's arms, that is…"

He stifled a snicker as he earned another death glare in return.

"Then, I'll kill that guy before she can even choose someone else over me," Youko snorted, rolling his eyes. "And you don't have to tell me what to do," and then, in a hushed whisper, came his words, "I'm already planning on it."

* * *

"In any case, I still can't get over how huge this bath is," Botan remarked to herself, finding herself awestruck for what felt like always as she glanced around the clean, humongous bath house. Tying her hair into a messy bun, the ferry girl then unwrapped the towel from her body, the loose cotton fabric gliding down her skin and falling limply to the ground as her soft, padding footsteps echoed through the walls.

A contented sigh escaped her as she dipped her toes into the bath, the lukewarm water offering a comfortable, soothing effect to her rattled nerves. She had been on edge lately, especially after that whole argument she had with the fox lord, Youko. This was exactly what she needed, she thought, as she entered the rest of her supple form into the warm bath. Throwing her head back, Botan felt her body relax as she stared up at the ceiling, and she was able to see the steam in the air as she heaved another soft sigh.

However, just as her eyelids were about to flutter close due to the calming sensations of the warm liquid touching her form, they shot open once more as the door to the bath house suddenly slid open, the loud whooshing sound that followed causing her to jerk in surprise. Afraid that it might be one of the female demons who despised her to the end of the earth for apparently 'stealing Youko away' from them, she snapped her head back, eyes wide with terror and alarm. However, before she could even catch a glimpse of the intruder, there was a splash from beside her, almost as if someone had just entered the bath. Tentatively, she whirled her head around, eyes broadening and a scream building in her chest as she realized who it was, causing her to nearly back away from the other person.

Youko sat beside her, his smoldering gold unreadable as he gaped at her. She was vividly aware of the fact that he was naked, and in the women's bath with her, and the revelation that hit her of the horrifying deeds he might do to her alarmed her already frightened, shocked senses. Without uttering a word to the fox, she stood up, making to leave when his arm abruptly shot up, promptly hooking around her waist and tugging her back into the water. There was a loud sound of splashing and his feral growl as he crushed her petite form against the hard contours of his body, her small back now pressed up against his front.

"Y-Youko…" she called in warning as the shock died out her system, irritation flaring up in her as she felt him tighter his hold around her. His other arm came to wrap around her waist as well, pulling her impossibly closer to him. She almost jumped as she felt his cock grow hard against the plump flesh of her butt, her eyes widening as she realized the reason behind his sudden appearance. "Are you going to…?"

"Put it in?" Youko's voice, holding a touch of mischief and amusement, finished for her. She bit her lip, a rosy shade involuntarily coming to color her now heated cheeks. "No," Although, he grabbed the sides of her hips, squishing her tighter against his stone hard member, "Even though I would love to, that is not the reason why I came here."

Despite her embarrassment, Botan grew curious and couldn't help but ask, "W-what do you mean?" Her blush turned ten shades darker as he attached his hot mouth to her bare shoulders, kissing the droplets off of her soft flesh.

"I wanted to apologize," he murmured against her skin, catching her slightly off guard by the sincerity laced deep within his voice, "For what I said."

"Even so, there's a time and a place for that kind of thing," she protested, in spite the warm feeling that intruded the middle of her chest at hearing his genuine apology, "You can't just come into the women's bath house and… oh, fine, suit yourself…" she made to reprimand him, only to have a soft sigh as he intensified his ministrations, his fangs gently scraping against her shoulders as he then darted his tongue out and licked. A shiver of delight traveled down her spine, and she tried to brush off the heat forming between her legs.

He abruptly removed his lips from her as he shot her an exasperated stare. "No one's going to kick me out for intruding into the women's bath," he scoffed at her, "I'm the lord of this keep, remember?"

"That still doesn't…"

"And didn't you hear what I said? I wanted to apologize, that's why I came here," he repeated, although his voice held no irritation as the words were let out in the air.

She was momentarily silent. "I know," she mumbled, "I heard."

"Well?"

"Well, what?" She looked over her shoulder, frowning as he frowned at her. "Isn't this the part where you say you're sorry?"

For a moment, she could see him struggle; his mouth opened and closed like a fish, making it seem as if he was at a loss for words. But, she knew that wasn't the case. "I… I'm sorry," he finally uttered after an interminable silence, his voice a few octaves lower, sounding a little embarrassed, but the sincerity was barely conceivable. She smiled.

"Thank you for saying that," she whispered, allowing him as he spun her around, before pulling her against him again, her soft, perky breasts flushed against his hard, alabaster chest. A throaty groan erupted from the fox's throat, and she could see his ears twitch in excitement… and possibly arousal. She imagined his tail violently swishing from side to side as he grabbed her hips, squeezing tightly before slamming her pelvis against his, his rock hard shaft now pressed against her slick folds. But, he made no move to move; didn't even grind against her, and just stayed still. She didn't mind it, and merely laid her head on his chest, smiling to herself as the sound of his heart beat racing reverberated in her ears. Perhaps he did care about her, if only for a little bit – but even that slightest bit was more than enough for her, and she heaved a contented sigh, her eyelids fluttering close. The lovers were engulfed in complete yet comfortable silence as he embraced her, the sound of his steady breathing against her ear calming than the water touching their tangled bodies.

"Do you miss being in Reikai?" he suddenly asked, breaking off the silence, and she looked up at him in bewilderment.

In spite of her confusion over why he was asking her this completely out of the blue, Botan parted her lips, forming an honest answer, "Sometimes, I do." The bafflement disappeared from her lovely features as a bitter smile crossed her lips. "But, not all of them, I guess."

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well," She placed a hand on his chest, her fingers tracing lazy fingers on his pale skin, and her mouth curling into a grin as she felt his muscles flex under his touch, and his hold around her involuntarily tighten, "No one there really cared about me. I mean, you saw how it was, when they all found out about how I was… er, sleeping with you, they all went against me. I guess, deep down, I'm actually glad that I left that place. But… sometimes, it does sadden me with regret as there were a few who actually cared about me. Fuyumi, Hinageshi… and Koenma…" she trailed off as she felt his figure stiffen.

"It's the same around here," he murmured, "The women here hate you as well." All of a sudden, his features turned serious, and in a stern yet reassuring voice, he uttered, "But, you don't have to worry about that. You have other people here who care about you."

"Other…?" She blinked. "Who?"

"Kuronue, Hiei… and even Rei… They all consider you as their mistress… and their friend."

She couldn't resist the urge to broaden her grin as she asked, "And you're not jealous of them? Even when they're all men?"

A wholehearted laugh poured out her lips as she saw his fox ears flattened against the top of his head in annoyance. "Well, I would admit that I _am_ a bit envious." His eyes softened then. "But, it makes me glad that even here you have friends you can rely on, to protect you, especially when I'm not there by your side to prevent any harm from befalling you."

She smiled; a real, warm smile. "Just swear to me one thing," she murmured, and as he pinned a quizzical stare on her. The gentle quirk of her lips widened ever so slightly, and she cupped his cheeks with both her hands, looking straight into his eyes as in a firm but soft tone laced in her voice, she added, "That you won't ever say you don't love me anymore. That no matter how much we fight, or whatever bad things that might happen to us, you would never leave or walk away again."

His mouth curved into another smile. "I swear," and he nuzzled his nose with hers, the girlish giggle he earned from her sounding like jingle bells as it resonated in his ears.

"You know," she abruptly started, "I also have to apologize."

Gold irises blinked at her in confusion. "What for? You didn't do anything…"

"Well," She offered him an apologetic smile, "I took some time to think about it, and well, I came to a conclusion that you weren't entirely wrong for killing them. I mean, it was a tad bit over the top, but I can understand why you would. Especially when they tried to…"

He shook his head, the simple action silencing her ramblings. "No," he firmly said, "I don't want to talk about that."

She blinked, only to flush slight pink as he took hold of her hand, bringing it to his lips and with his eyes shutting close, trailed soft, featherlike kisses all over her long fingers. "Okay," she relented, another smile forming on her pink, honey-dew lips.

His eyes opened again as she gently pulled her hand back, and before he could ask her if he did something wrong, she threw her arms over his neck, pulling him closer as she claimed his lips with hers. For a moment, his eyes were wide, but then, they slowly drifted close. Botan stared at his long eyelashes, her own eyelids fluttering shut as she felt him respond, his mouth moving rhythmically against hers.

He groaned between the kiss as he felt her hook her legs around his waist, his erection pushing against his stomach as she pressed harder against him. She started to move, her lewd moans and sharp gasps muffled by his lips as she rubbed her hips up and down, her slick folds gliding up and down his shaft in a slow yet enticing pace. He moved with her, rubbing harder and faster, causing her to part her lips in a silent moan, and he took that to his advantage, diving his tongue into her mouth. It met with hers, and he groaned as he felt the wet appendanges danced and stroked against each other.

"Botan…" he purred as he broke off the kiss, watching as a trail of saliva dripped from their lips and down her chin. She wiped it away, returning his lustful stare with her own predatory gaze. He smirked, the desire clouding his molten gold drinking in the sight of her opened aggressiveness, "Well, this is new. Usually, I'm the one making the first move."

She snorted, but he could see a brief smile touch her lips, before it quickly dropped as she turned her attention to his ears. She reached, taking one into her grasp, and relishing in the purr she earned in return as she stroked, finding herself awestruck with girlish admiration as her fingers moved up and down, the feel of his soft fur eliciting a giggle from the ferry girl.

Her giggle faded into thin air, reduced to a loud cry of pleasure as he suddenly grabbed her hips, hoisting her up before slamming her down again, his cock sinking in to her core. She shivered, body quivering as he lifted her up and down his shaft, drilling into her as the tip of his member roughly slammed against the sensitive spot inside her again and again.

He pulled her into him, hugging her as he pumped faster and faster into her, each thrust as hard and delicious as the next. She bit onto his shoulder in an attempt to stifle her whimpers as he relentlessly drove into her, the pleasure rocketing through each cell in her being practically unbearable and overwhelming, the added assistance with the water splashing between their bodies impossibly increasing the sensations. She bucked her hips wildly, countering each thrust perfectly as the feel of him inside her, combined with the arousing sound of his groans, ones that rivaled her own, drove her to the point of insanity.

"Fuck," he growled as he felt her other hand attach itself to his back, her nails dragging up and down and digging into his skin, leaving bloody tracks in its wake as the hand on his ear stroked, fingers running into his scalp, "You feel so good," he groaned, rewarding her with a slap to her right ass cheek.

Botan whimpered at the sudden feel of his hand smacking against her hip, wanton moans leaving her as she bucked faster, the pressure building and the familiar knot inside her tightening. She felt the heat in her core intensify as he pulled her apart a little to wrap his mouth around a nipple giving it a harsh suck before licking vigorously around the sensitive bud.

 _YoukoYoukoYoukoYouko_ —she panted over and over again like a mantra, the sound of his name leaving her lips driving him closer and closer to orgasm.

Youko pounded into her almost animastically, the water splashing around them barely registering in their mind as he forced her to scream again and again in intense pleasure, every thrust bringing her closer and closer to the edge, and Botan could feel herself beginning to lose her grip on reality. "Yes, yes, yes!" she whimpered, her vision exploding into white, pure pleasure rolling in waves throughout her entire body. The coil within her stomach had unraveled with force, and she screamed his name as her orgasm broke through every wall in her. As she descended down from her high, she was suddenly aware of the fact that Youko was still pounding into her, his face tight in concentration. He was fighting to hold his own climax back, wanting to make her come a second time.

"God, you're so fucking tight," he moaned, his voice hoarse as his breathing, ragged. His eyes studied her, eyeing the adorable flush on her features, and her brows furrowing in a mixed of frustration and pleasure. "You're beautiful." Beads of sweat dripped off of him, his body glistening in her view. She licked her lips, watching him as he thrusted hard into her. One of the hands that had been holding her hips traveled down to her clit, and he began to rub in small, fast circles, causing her to cry out. Again, she could feel the pleasure building up inside her again, less than fix seconds after her previous orgasm. He pushed himself deep within her, rubbing her swollen clit with force as he pounded in and out of her. Their eyes locked, and their screams mingled as they stared heatedly at each other. His moans were increasing in volume, turning her on even though she was still sensitive. His head felled to her neck, his jaw and nose brushing the soft skin there gently. His mouth parted and his deep breaths of pleasure fanned over her flesh, making goose bumps appear on her skin. "Say my name," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible. "Say my name." He continued to drill harder and harder into her, her name a whisper as it left his lips over and over again "Botan, Botan, Botan," he groaned.

She closed her eyes, her mouth parting to form out his, "Youko," she cried, her nails digging almost painfully so into the skin of his back, "Youko, Youko." The fire continued to build, and with a powerful thrust into her, she felled apart into pure white bliss. "Youko," she whimpered one last time, and he groaned, squirting his hot seed into her. His thrusts grew stagnant as they rode out their highs together, the fox panting heavily, although not as heavy as the ferry girl.

She blinked when he leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips, one that wasn't like the usual ones he would give her. She looked into his eyes as he pulled apart, and as he pulled her into another breathtaking kiss, she realized what it was that was different about it; it was gentle, warm and dare she say it, _loving_. He broke off the lip lock almost immediately, her pools of amethyst locking with his gold; beautiful, smoldering gold staring at her with so much affection and yearning that she was rendered breathless.

And as he whispered to her those three words, she could have sworn she nearly fainted.

"I love you."

She stared at him, watching as his mouth curled into the softest smile she had ever laid eyes on. And she wasn't sure if she had the courage to properly tell him how she felt, but she returned the smile with her own, settling instead with the words,

"Me too."

His smile broadened. She didn't tell him 'I love you, too' like the way he'd been dying to hear, but this was enough.

And as he pulled her into his arms, for once, he felt truly contented.

It was more than enough.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

 **Summary:** Sequel to Devil's Sweet Temptation. Youko Kurama was a fox spirit. Cunning, ferocious, and merciless, he was detached of any emotion and attachments. It was wrong for Botan to feel the way she did, but matters of the hearts could never be ignored that easily.

 **Chapter 10**

"What the hell are you doing?"

Kuronue looked up from the food he was stuffing in to the short fire demon staring at him with his arms crossed over his chest. Kuronue blinked, before shrugging one shoulder lightly. "Uh… eating?" he responded unsurely, uncertain if that was the answer his friend wanted to hear.

Hiei quirked an eyebrow at him. " _That_ much?"

"What?" Kuronue scoffed, "You've got a problem with it or something?"

Hiei's crimson orbs gazed at him, studying him in a way that made Kuronue feel somewhat as if he was a test subject under the fire demon's unwavering scrutiny.

It felt like forever before Hiei finally broke off the awkward silence that had managed to engulf them, "No, not really," he snorted, "You can stuff yourself as much as you want. I'm just wondering what's bothering you this time."

"Why would you assume that there's something bothering me?" Kuronue asked, despite already knowing the answer.

Hiei rolled his eyes at his companion's futile attempt at playing dumb, but he decided to reply anyway, "Well, for starters, you always eat like a bird. It's only when you have something stressing you out that you have moments like these."

The bat demon held back a smirk. "Moments like what, exactly?"

"Moments where you devour… uh… a rather large amount food," Hiei elaborated, awkwardly pointing at the said large amount of food situated on the table, almost filling every space on the large, brown furniture.

"… Nothing goes past you, does it?" Kuronue sighed softly, but evidently, there was a small smile on his face.

Hiei sounded a scoff, "Well, what is it?"

Kuronue hesitated only for a moment, before opening his mouth to form out honest words, "It's just that… well, this whole Youko and Botan thing is really taking its toll on me."

Almost instantly, there was a deep frown marring the shorter demon's features. "The omen? What about it?"

"Well," Kuronue gulped, before shifting his gaze to the fire demon to stare at him in uncertainty, "Don't you think we should tell Youko?"

"Why should we?" came Hiei's response, sounding slightly exasperated, "Not like it's going to change anything."

"I know that…" Kuronue murmured, turning to peer at the plate-full of steak before him, which he poked a little with his fork. "But I feel bad for hiding such an important thing from the two of them." He then looked at Hiei again, sounding firmer this time as he inquired, "Don't you?"

When Hiei was unresponsive, Kuronue knew that he felt the same way.

* * *

Botan bit her lip, halting in her tracks as she stared up at the three females standing before her, blocking her path. It wasn't as if she didn't recognize them; no, in fact, she knew them all too well, and although it angered her, it also terrified her that they had came all the way to see her just to put their plans of vengeance into action.

 _It's those three again_ , she mused bitterly to herself, _those three who hurt me… and during the time Youko found out about the female demons here bullying me…_ But, that hadn't been happening for a long time. The fox had went out of his way to punish every last single one of them; in regards to what the punishment had been, Botan hadn't the inkling of idea. Although, she had heard that they had been subjected to torture and even though Youko had promised her not to do anything to extreme, to him, torture probably was the easiest punishment for these girls, especially after everything they had put Botan through. And he never mentioned it, either, so she never really had any intentions of discussing about it. It had been better that way. And besides, the girls had been leaving her alone ever since then; perhaps scared of what Youko might do if they were to make the same mistakes. If that was the case, there was no way these three in front of her had plans to do anything terrible to her, did they?

"What do you want?" Botan finally spoke, after a while of a tense, interminable silence. They didn't say anything, merely stared at her. And the longer their gazes remained fixed on her form, the more she began to fear the worse. "I-I'm going to go now," She gulped briefly, "c-can you step aside?"

They remained dead silent, and after what felt like forever of them gaping at her in such a weird, terrifying way, they finally stepped aside to allow her access to walk further down the hallway. She inwardly expelled a sigh, relief overwhelming her senses and bringing a smile of gratitude to her face. She made to stalk past them, only to blink, a deep frown coming to etch on her forehead as he saw the three sets of feet on the floor step closer towards her.

Heart racing in increased, rising trepidation, Botan shakily took a step back, inhaling a sharp intake of breath as they took two steps forward. She looked up with eyes wide in fear, her blood running cold as she caught the hint of malice and bloodlust darkening their irises. Knowing now that they had no friendly intentions for her, Botan immediately spun on her heels, going to run away. Although, she hadn't even managed to move a muscle before an arm shot up and grabbed at hers, harshly tugging her back and pushing her down to the dirt. The ferry girl yelped as her butt connected with the cold, hard floor, wincing for a moment, before flicking her head upwards.

"You know," The rat demon, the one with the curvy, blue hair, spoke, her voice chillingly low, "If we can't have Youko-sama," She smirked, "then, neither can you."

"What—" Botan's sentence was cut short, reduced into a pained whimper as the rat demon's clawed hand reached out and clutched her bangs, tugging her head roughly upwards, the brute force causing the ferry girl to momentarily suspect that her neck would break if this went on. "Stop," she hissed, and despite her trepidation, glared up at the other three, "If Youko finds out…"

"He'll send us to the torture chamber again," the rat demon finished for her, her voice sharp as she bent down until she was eye-leveled with Botan, "But, that's fine. If we can have our way with you, make you suffer the slowest, most tormenting death, then that's all worth it." A shrill, maniacal laughter left her throat, teasing at poor Botan's rattled nerves.

"You don't have to do this," Botan started, her lips pale and trembling, "There are better men out there than Youko. You can always find another."

"But, we don't want someone else other than Youko-sama," the rat demon spat at her, one hand meeting Botan's right cheek in a smacking slap, as she growled, low and dangerous, "Why don't you get that through your thick head, you stupid, silly little girl?"

Botan tried to ignore the numbing pain at her cheek that traveled through each cell of the rest of her face from the sudden, harsh slap, attempting to appear composed as she met eye contact with the angry demon. "And why don't _you_ get through _your_ thick head that he doesn't want you?" she roared back, watching with slight interest with a mingling anxiety as the rat demon's features grew fierce at her words.

"I've changed my mind," the demon sneered, as her claws tugged at the locks of Botan's hair, the ferry girl's wince bringing a self-satisfied smirk to her lips, "I'll torture you like Youko-sama did to us before I kill you."

Botan bit her lower lip, in an attempt to stifle a smart remark, knowing somehow that it would only worsen her predicament. She was acutely aware of her heart pounding in her chest and the salty taste of blood in her mouth, the terror showing in her pools of amethysts, despite her heated stare. She shut her eyes tight as the demon grabbed her throat, clenching tightly, the razor sharp nails digging painfully into her flesh.

The rat demon narrowed her dark blue eyes at the ferry girl, somewhat baffled by her prey's silence. She wondered briefly if the girl had gotten too terrified of her that she was unable to speak, a smirk resting on her lips, before wavering as quickly as it came as she realized something odd. All of a sudden, her palms were sweaty and clammy, and her face drained of any color as her body began to quiver. She slowly turned her head around with dread, eyes widening into saucers in a mixture of alarm and fear as they locked with a pair of smoldering, glinting gold. She immediately released the tight hold she had around the ferry girl's hair, and in an instant, kneeled down to her knees, her other two peers mimicking her actions. The trio started to beg for mercy, just as Botan began coughing for air. She took greedy inhales of oxygen, before finally regaining her composure, and fluttering her eyelids open.

She lifted her gaze, eyes widening at the sight of Youko advancing towards the three demons, every step as deadly calm as the last. With shaking legs, Botan struggled to stand up, almost rushing for the fox before she grabbed at his arm. "W-wait…" she started, but one look from him silenced her immediately. Youko was furious. He was _very_ furious. And no doubt he was planning to murder the three demons who dared to hurt her.

The fox looked away from her, shifting his gold orbs to the cowering female demons on the floor. His features hardened, his vibrant molten gold darkening into a murky yellow as the raging fire within him grew rapidly stronger and stronger. Ignoring Botan's protests, he tugged his arm out of her hold, before grabbing the rat demon by the hair and throwing her into the wall.

"Wait, Youko, stop—"

"How long will it take you to realize that no matter how much you give these whores pity, they'll never change? That you can't save them?" he cut Botan short, his voice cold like ice, and sharp like the tip of a sword, but his gaze remained fixed on the blue haired rat demon coughing out blood and holding an arm to her stomach.

Botan felled silent; did it seem that way? Did it seem like she was trying to save them? Well—maybe it did. Maybe she was trying to save them without realizing what she herself was doing. And Youko was right; demons were a lost cause. Very much like him, none of them could be saved even if she tried. _Was I being stupid and selfish for thinking that I can change them? That I can change_ ** _him_** _?_ She thought, taking a step back as she watched Youko summon a large, scary looking plant, its mouth opening and revealing sets of razor sharp teeth. Its drool dripped on the floor, acidic as it burned through the concrete surface.

The sound of the demons whimpering snapped her back to reality, and before she knew it, she was already tugging at Youko's arm; no words escaped her, but it was enough to give the fox the clue that she didn't want any of this. Maybe if she had never left Reikai… maybe if she had never came here… For a moment, she could have sworn she felt Youko hesitate, but then, the malice and menace quickly returned, darkening his once bright, warm gold irises as they stared at her for a fleeting second, before turning to the three demons.

"This plant's drool is very special," he spoke, his voice chilling, with a dangerous edge, "It's acid," He narrowed his eyes, "but at the same time, it also has healing powers. Once its drool comes into contact with your skin, it will melt and dissolve everything, everything down to your bones. And just as you're about to die, just as you're about to breathe your last breath, it will regenerate you again. It will almost kill you and heal again and again. The process will repeat for all eternity. You'll be in pain for the rest of your life… Would you like that?" He smirked, watching as the plant drew closer and closer to the cowering female demons.

"N-no!" the rat demon practically begged. "I-I beg of you, my lord, please… please, let us go!"

"Do you swear you will never land a finger on my woman again?"

"Y-yes, we swear! But, in return, p-please…"

A chuckle rumbled in his chest, sounding mocking, dark and amused as it was let out in the air. The demons' pleas died down in the air, the sound teasing and taunting at them. Youko's gold eyes flashed in a dangerous way, the smirk touching his lips baring his sharp fangs as he said, "Unfortunately," His smirk broadened, "I don't have any intention of sparing your pathetic lives."

And in just a split second, the plant was biting into their skin, its acidic drool dissolving every tissue as their ear-rupturing shrieks for help echoed in the once dead silent hallway.

"Are you okay?"

Botan averted her gaze from the gruesome sight to the silver haired fox. He seemed like a world apart from the cruel beast that he had displayed before her as he reached a hand out to gently caress her cheek swollen cheek. The pain from the rat demon's slap seemed to dissipate under his warm, comforting touch, and she looked straight into his gold, reflecting love and worry, all for her.

Was she okay? Was she? She didn't know; she didn't know what she was feeling. She was disgusted, of course, but strangely satisfied. Was it wrong for her to feel triumphant over what had happened before her very own eyes? Was it cruel of her not to pity the ones who had once harassed and bullied her? Perhaps it was, perhaps it wasn't. And when she answered Youko's question with an 'I'm fine', when the joy practically radiated off of him as he smiled in relief, Botan felt oddly _happy_. _Contented_. Now there was no one to stand in between them. No one to bother her for the relationship and affections she shared with Youko—her lover.

And she smiled back.

Maybe, before she knew it, she was already too far gone.


End file.
